Persona 5: Twilight
by SolanaLeonhart
Summary: One choice can change a person's life. Namine Hyakuya discovers this as a single action she took changes her life. Bleak at first, said change would lead to her meeting people she would treasure forever. Together they will become the vigilantes that shake up the world, the Phantom Thieves. As they help change the world, it becomes clear that things aren't always black and white.
1. Chapter 1

_So I've been wanting to try something different than my two stories for a while and this came along as a result. My brother got me interested in Persona after seeing him play Persona 5 and I will admit, the game was great. I just figured why not try?_

 _Anyway, here we are, I hope you like it._

* * *

A girl with burgundy colored hair tied in a loose ponytail and bright blue eyes made her way through the busy streets of Tokyo. She made sure to avoid bumping into anyone but really, her mind kept drifting to the events that led to her coming here...

 _''Damn brat, I'll sue!''_

 _''She did what?''_

 _''Keep away from her, she's a criminal!''_

The girl heaved an inaudible sigh as the memories came to her, quickly trying to shake them off. She knew it wouldn't be that easy though.

She had been forced to come to the city as a part of her probation after being falsely accused of attacking a man. It was all so wrong...all she had done was push him off the woman he had been hurting, when she'd asked for help. The man had been so drunk, he stumbled and hit himself on the ground...

But people wouldn't listen to a thing she said. The man had somehow wound up forcing the woman to testify against her. He'd even managed to keep himself anonymous and pin all the blame on her to boot. The girl had been judged guilty and was told to come and stay here with a stranger for a year. People treated her as a criminal, her school kicked her out...long story short, her life was ruined.

While the indignity of it all brought back all the frustration she'd been holding back, the girl consoled herself with the knowledge that at least she wasn't sent to prison. Small mercies, she supposed...

Shaking the thought off, she kept making her way to where she was told her new guardian would be...

* * *

Cafe Leblanc was located in the backstreets of Yongen-jaya. The area around it seemed relatively quiet. The barista, a middle aged man with black hair and dark eyes was reading the newspaper while the elderly couple seated before him were chatting about recent events.

They made to leave after a few minutes, only pausing when the door opened and the girl was about to step in. She stopped when she noticed them and gave a small bow, before opening the door wider and side stepping to let them pass. The old woman mused about her manners for a moment before her voice trailed off, too far for them to hear. The man put the newspaper down and spoke

''So you're Hyakuya Namine?''

The girl looked at him and bowed again ''Yes, it's a pleasure to meet you, Sakura-san.''

''...Well, you're as polite as they said.'' He mused, not acknowledging the girl's curious look at this. ''I'm pretty sure you know the deal. I'll be your guardian for the year and fill your probation officer in. But if you cause any trouble, you'll be kicked out.''

Namine nodded, not bothering to point out that she knew this too. Sojiro went on ''We'll be heading to Shujin Academy tomorrow to register you. For now, I'll show you to your room.''

The room was in the attic, it was cluttered. Namine didn't miss that her luggage had arrived earlier.

''What's with that look, kid?'' Sojiro prompted.

''If you take away those boxes and maybe fix it up a bit, this place could have made a decent bedroom before.'' Namine remarked idly.

He'd never thought of it like that but...''You might be on to something there...I just left it like this when I bought the place. Anyway, this is everything, right?''

''Yeah, do you have any cleaning supplies I could use? I'd like to sort things out in a bit.''

He seemed a bit surprised by the question but replied readily ''Sure, use what you want, they're all downstairs.''

* * *

When Sojiro came back, he was surprised to find that she was already done cleaning up, and the attic was looking different already. Namine seemed diligent, like he'd been told before this whole deal was started. The case had left him with doubts for sure, what threw him off was that she seemed more or less apathetic to his remarks on her situation.

On the other hand, she appeared tired so it was best to leave her be for now.

He was partially right, Namine was just too wornout to argue in her defense at the moment. But it was more than that...

Simply put, what was the point of talking to someone who wouldn't listen?

The girl took her phone out, having hardly touched it all day. That was when she noticed something odd...

It was an app, one she didn't remember downloading before. Heck, she'd never even seen anything like it. Where'd it come from?

Namine tapped its icon, but nothing happened. At least, that was what she assumed, until something in the air seemed to shift.

A second later, the space in front of the girl seemed to erupt in a burst of blue flames, leaving her to recoil in shock. A figure then became visible through it and it took Namine a few seconds to realize that it looked just like her.

The only differences was that her apparent doppelganger appeared to have golden eyes and that its expression was unreadable. Just as it cracked a smirk, the figure vanished as the flames billowed only to be replaced by a silhouette of a larger figure with orange eyes and grin and wings, but it disappeared and the flames faded away.

Namine remembered to breathe then, placing a hand over her rapidly beating heart.

''What...was that?''

* * *

Strange incidents aside, the next day went as planned as Sojiro took her to Shujin Academy. Namine knew this was the only place that accepted her with her probation so she was content to wait and see what would happen. Not that she had much expectations...

She soon found that it was a good thing because the teachers would have certainly ruined any. The principal, Kobayakawa, a fat, bald man wearing a suit, was quick to remind her of the situation, pointing out that she would be expelled for any infractions. He was quick to state that while she might have had leeway in the past, there was no she could expect any here.

Her homeroom teacher was one Kawakami Sadayo, a woman with dark hair clad in a yellow blouse and blue skirt. Namine couldn't shake the feeling that the woman was wornout for some reason. After giving her the student ID, the woman proceeded to complain about having the girl in her class, worried about housing a criminal. Kobayakawa reminded her that her class was the only one with an opening, promising that everything would be fine. They would just make sure Namine would behave or there would be consequences.

Namine bit down her irritation at it all, reminding herself that they wouldn't listen anyway.

Had she tried looking around, she would have noticed Sojiro's unimpressed expression. Sure, the kid may have messed up but for crying out loud, they were teachers. Weren't schools supposed to give children a chance and let them learn? She was still young after all. Could they at least have the decency not to talk like that now? They may have acted like they were open to Namine having a second chance but somehow he wasn't convinced. He glanced at his charge, only to find that her expression was apathetic again like it was yesteday.

Sighing, the man spoke ''Don't worry, I'll make sure to talk to her.''

''Please do, Sakura-san.'' Kobayakawa acknowledged.

They soon left after that, something both were thankful for.

''Good grief...I figured they'd come on you but not like this.'' He admitted once they were back in the car as he turned on the radio.

''Well, I'd have been surprised if they were more open-minded.'' Namine said after a moment.

''You're handling this better than one would think.''

''Reminding myself that it was either adapting to the way things are now or jail helps, Sakura-san.''

Good point, he'd give her that one. ''True enough...''

Sojiro was distracted by the radio _''...and investigations into the mental shutdowns have yet to yield any results...''_

Namine tilted her head a little ''I heard people talking about this yesterday. Is it true?''

''It seems so.'' All he'd heard were rumors too. But then, he'd never really paid attention to the situation...

Namine frowned a bit as she looked at something on her phone ''Again?'' At his raised eye, she admitted ''I found some weird app last night. I don't even know how I got it though...''

''You're better off getting rid of shifty stuff like that. It could wind up getting a virus in your phone or something.''

''Yeah...'' She proceeded to delete it. ''...I could have sworn I did yesterday though...''

Not much else happened, they were stuck in traffic for a while. Sojiro had to close up a couple of hours later and Namine prepared herself for the coming day.

* * *

She had a strange dream of what appeared to be a blue prison, with two girls dressed up as wardens at the gate with a man sitting and watching it all. He'd mentioned something about how her rehabilitation was about to begin, just what did that mean?

No matter Namine looked at it, things seemed to get weirder ever since she arrived here. The thought left her sighing as she went downstairs, finding Sojiro behind the counter.

He nodded to her greeting ''You're up early, that's good, Here...'' he set a plate of curry and a spoon on the counter. ''...I've got breakfast.''

''Thank you...'' The surprised Namine took a seat and began to eat.

''...it's delicious. Thanks.'' She said again after finishing up.

She missed his lips twitching a little as she bent to pick up her stuff. ''You know the way now?''

''Yeah, it's fine.'' The girl made her way out of the cafe and headed to school.

* * *

 _Well, I think I'll stop here._

 _So, how was it? I didn't want to lump too much right in the first chapter. I intended to have Ren as the main character but I started thinking things over. The reason I changed my mind was that this way gives me more freedom. I will admit, I didn't play the game. I read up on it and watched videos on the stuff I didn't know about. So I don't know how this would turn but I thought it couldn't hurt to try. Watching and reading up on it gave me some ideas that I wanted to get out there._

 _I did try watching the anime but I've been told that people think it's trash. I admit it's kind of rushed but it didn't seem that way. According to my brother, one would have to play the game to notice the differences. Is that true?_

 _Just to clear up, Namine's not usually so reserved or even apathetic as it may seem, she's just trying to keep in line and avoid any trouble. Also, Sojiro actually heard of Namine before all this went down from her grandparents. They're among the customers he gets along with well and she's close to them._

 _Anyway, I hope I got the characters right. I'd appreciate hearing any opinions. The differences in my plot will become clear as we go along. Thanks for reading!_


	2. Chapter 2

_Well, it looks like we're off to a good start. Anyway, to keep it short, here's the second chapter._

* * *

''Oh, great...''

Namine hurried to find cover from the sudden rain that had fallen on her way to Shujin Academy.

What a way to start her new year...

She took her phone out and checked her maps app, having already marked the school's location yesterday. It didn't look like she was very far...

A girl arrived also looking for cover from the rain. She had her hood up but was clad in what Namine figured to be a Shujin uniform when she saw the school symbol on the blazer.

The new arrival exhaled and pushed her hood down. She was beautiful, with ash blonde hair styled in bushy pigtails and a clip holding a bang to the side and teal blue eyes. She noticed Namine then, giving her a small smile to which the girl nodded back.

A few moments later, a white car stopped nearby. One of the windows lowered, revealing a man with messy black hair.

''Hey, you want a ride? You'll be late for school.''

''Ah, sure...'' The blonde girl replied, going up and taking a seat.

''What about you?'' The man asked Namine.

''No, thanks...'' The girl was distracted as she noticed the blonde's expression turning sad as the car drove off a second later.

What was that about?

Namine looked back at her makeshift map, momentarily questioning her decision. She did know the way but still...

''Dammit, screw that pervy teacher!''

She started and turned left, seeing a boy with dyed blond hair and brown eyes running over. His eyes were glaring at the car as it left the street. The boy's eyes narrowed some more as he noticed a confused Namine watching him.

''What, you gonna rat me out to Kamoshida?''

Namine blinked ''Who?...I think you misunderstood something, I don't know who that is. This is my first day.''

''Wait, you're a transfer?'' The boy received a nod. ''Oh...looks like you're second year in Shujin too. Well, good thing you didn't get in with him. That guy's a complete bastard.''

''Wait, he's teacher in Shujin?'' Namine clarified.

''Yup, really though you can barely call him that...'' The boy said, disgust coloring his tone. ''...that pervert makes me so mad. He acts like a king of a castle!''

He exhaled a moment later ''The rain's not so bad. Come on, I'll show you a shortcut.''

Unbeknownst to them both, something on Namine's phone flashed. The strange red and black app she had tried to get rid of before had returned, taking up the display.

''Thanks...ah...'' Namine stiffened as she felt a dizzying sensation sweep over her. This was something she'd had to deal with thanks to the case but since she felt all right enough earlier, she didn't think it would happen.

The sight of the boy shaking his head with a grimace lead her to think that the cause was something different than what she had in mind though...

''...What was that?'' He muttered, shaking his head.

A few minutes later, he stopped walking and Namine followed suit. ''Here we-what?''

Namine looked just as confused. For they were now staring at a big and tall medieval castle.

''What the heck?'' The boy let out. ''We didn't take any wrong turns. I used this shortcut before, we should be at school.''

Namine was inclined to agree, she had come by yesterday and there was nothing like this. She noticed a plate on the wall nearby, which oddly enough, read Shujin Academy.

So they were at the right place...but what did this mean?

''Well, there's no point standing here. Let's figure this out.'' The boy said, getting a nod from Namine before both walked in. Both unknowingly had the same thought that there could be someone in there who knew something about this.

* * *

The castle appeared impressive both on the inside and outside. There were many rooms, but not a person in sight. The place was also rather quiet, giving the impression that it was abandoned.

It was as Namine happened to glance out the window that she noticed another oddity. The sky was now colored red and purple.

Now that she took a closer look at their surroundings, the air was different, almost as if there was a purple tint to it.

They had come to find some answers, but it looked like all they wound up with was more questions.

The boy stopped walking at the sound of footsteps before following it to the source ''Wait, it looks like there is someone here!'' He went near the lobby's end, almost recoiling when he saw that the new arrival was clad in a suit of armor with a weapon on his back.

''That's one hell of cosplay, you took me by surprise.'' He started to say. ''Say, we were trying to get to school but we somehow wound up in this place. Can you tell...''

Namine frowned when he didn't show any response. Something seemed off here...

Before she could think much on it though, something hard hit her on the back of her neck, making her collapse.

The boy looked alarmed, more so when he noticed a dark figure behind the girl. ''What'd you...?!''

The words died on his mouth as he was hit on the head, causing him to fall. The boy grit his teeth and tried to move as spots invaded his vision, noticing the dark figure picking Namine up. ''Oi, leave her alone...!''

There was nothing much he could do though as his strength soon faded and he knew no more.

* * *

The teens awoke to find themselves in a cell. The boy scowled as he sat up ''The hell? What do they want?''

''Oh, so they're the intruders?'' A new voice demanded, making the two start and turn to the cell's gate to find...

Namine blinked ''Is that...''

''...Kamoshida?'' The boy finished, looking just as confused.

In all fairness, they had every right to feel that way. It appeared like the man from this morning but he seemed so different. He was clad in a pink and red knee length fur lined cape that obscured most of his body along with a golden crown. The man's eyes were also gold, but they seemed filled with evil as he stared at them. He was accompanied by three knights that looked like the one they had encountered before.

''So it's just Sakamoto? Would you look at that, he's so useless that he brought a friend.''

The boy growled, he would have attacked the man had it not been for the bars in the way. ''What do you want, you bastard?!''

Namine frowned, Sakamoto's behavior earlier had showed that there was bad history between them but she couldn't help wonder...was this really the same man?

The cell's door opened and the now clearly hostile new arrivals entered. A moment later, Kamoshida kicked Sakamoto to the ground.

''You're still too stupid to learn your place.'' He said coldly, not even looking at the teens as Namine helped support the boy. ''I am the king of Shujin, Kamoshida Suguru. A pathetic fool like you has no right to speak to me that way.'' His eyes narrowed as he continued. ''You lowly trash have not only desecrated my castle, but insulted me as well. For that, you will die here!''

Sakamoto looked like he was about to attack the man now but the next thing he knew, he was pushed to the left. He looked back out of surprise to find that there were two armed knights there, with one restraining Namine with the shaft of his spear. It took him a moment to understand that she'd tried to save him before he heard Kamoshida speak

''Well, ain't that nice? What's someone like you doing with Sakamoto of all people anyway?'' He inquired, the knight's restraint appeared too strong because Namine's expression made it clear that she couldn't answer even if she wanted to. ''Hmm...loosen up a little, it's a waste to let a pretty thing like this one die before I have my fun with her.'' The knight inclined his head and lowered the spear a little, but was careful to keep a hold on the girl.

Sakamoto tried to tackle the knight but was thrown back by the other one as a result. Kamoshida sneered at him. ''Don't bother, you're going to die now.''

This was punctuated by one of the knights slamming him to a wall, the third one stepped up and took out his weapon...

''Stop it!'' Namine cried. ''Let him go!''

She tried to think of anything to do, the girl knew she wasn't about to watch this go on. It was then that she saw a blue butterfly flying out of the cell. Then, a voice echoed...

'This truly is an unjust game. Your chances of winning are almost none. But if my voice is reaching you, there a may yet be a possibility open to you.'

That voice appeared gentle, but distant, as if the speaker was far away. Namine felt something in the air change before a new voice resounded, this one close and somehow familiar, though she'd never heard it before.

'It truly is unfair, is it not?' The new voice uttered, Namine cringed as she felt pain rise up. 'Your previous actions should have deemed you a hero, but you are now a pariah even to those you were once close to. With all the pain you've endured, do you still wish to protect, to stand up for what you believe is right? Was your decision that night a mistake?'

Namine managed to push past the pain to respond 'No...no, it wasn't! It's only because...because the system's corrupt, those in power get to do what they want. What I did that day wasn't wrong, and neither was my decision to interfere weeks ago...I refuse to believe they were mistakes. That's why I won't turn away now either!'

The voice laughed 'What a resolve! Well then, vow to me! I am thou, thou art I. Thou who found the strength to keep going even against great odds, thou willing to fight for your beliefs and justice no matter what, show the strength of thy will! Release my power and with it, your true self!'

A billowing gale surrounded Namine as she thrashed against her captor with a scream. She felt nothing but pain as the wind intensified, throwing their enemies back. Seconds later, she felt something hard on her face. An indescribable urge to remove it came over her, and she proceeded to do just that. Blood appeared because of the motion but said liquid faded into azure flames that surrounded the girl, similar to the vision Namine had seen earlier.

The flames grew in intensity and a towering figure appeared behind Namine. It a tall, red and black demonic entity, with sharp heels, a huge top hat and two black wings.

Namine had changed as well. She was now clad in a sleeveless black and white dress with gold accents that went a little below her knees with black short and matching boots. She also had long black seperate gloves that reached past her elbows along with a sheath at her side that seemed to be for a dagger.

''W-what's going on?!'' Kamoshida recoiled in shock but mostly fear.

Namine opened her eyes, revealing that they were glowing gold like his but a brighter and gentler shade. She gave their enemies an icy look ''Arsene, show them your power!''

'With pleasure.' The entity returned before blasting one of the knights with red light that disintegrated it. The second one tried to attack only to be destroyed by Arsene's slash.

Namine took out the dagger, eyes narrowing as the third knight tried to attack her. Feeling as if she knew how to use her new weapon somehow, she slashed the enemy twice only for it be felled by another burst of red light from Arsene.

''This can't be happening!'' Kamoshida stepped to the door, and in a few seconds, he had run out.

Namine glared at his retreating figure for a second before noticing Arsene fading away. ''Eh? What...''

She felt something reassuring, a warm pulse that washed over her. It seemed so close that it made her feel like the being was still there somewhere, as if it was with her in spirit. Either way, she was relieved they had gotten through this.

''What's going on?!'' Sakamoto demanded. ''How'd you do that?''

''I'm as lost as you are...''

''Oi, your clothes...''

Namine blinked and looked herself over ''? When'd this happen?'' She shook herself. ''Never mind, we need to get out of here before more of them come.''

The boy readily agreed ''No arguments here, let's go!''

* * *

They made their way through the floor, walking past dungeons that were all empty. Luckily, they had also yet to run against anymore enemies.

''Sheesh, just what was that about? Since when does Kamoshida pull this crap off?'' Sakamoto grunted.

''About that...I'm not sure it was him.'' Namine admitted.

''What do you mean? It has to be!''

''Nothing about this place is normal, is it? We shouldn't assume anything since there's so much we don't know.''

''Well, you've got a point there. Still...''

''Hey, you two!'' A new voice called. The teens stopped and began to look around. ''Over here!''

The speaker turned out to be a cat. A cat that looked like it was from a cartoon, it was black and white with bright blue eyes and a yellow scarf around its neck.

''Come on, get me outta here! You're not soilders of this castle, right?''

''A cat?!'' Sakamoto exclaimed while Namine's eyes widened. She answered after a few moments.

''Actually, we fought some.''

''You're taking this a little too well, that thing could be trying to trick us!'' Sakamoto told Namine.

''Would you get real?! Why would I?''

''Don't listen to that thing! Come on, we've gotta go!'' Sakamoto urged.

''Hold on...'' Namine looked around, seeing the keys on a nail in the wall. She proceeded to unlock the cell, letting the cat walk out.

''Why'd you do that?!''

''I don't see the harm. He doesn't seem like the things we've seen before.'' The girl returned. ''He might know something to help us too.''

''Thank you, my lady.'' The cat smiled.

''Um, you don't have to be formal, it's Namine.'' The girl offered. ''That's Sakamoto...?''

''Ryuji.'' The boy informed, realizing she didn't know his name. He was still a little wary but so far so good, it seemed.

''I'm Morgana!'' The cat returned. ''And you're right, I know the way out of here. I'll show you where to go.''

* * *

Morgana led them to a drawbridge, learning along the way that they ended up in the castle accidentally. Then they began asking questions, he told them more about this place. It was a separate realm called the Metaverse. That the beings they ran into were called Shadows. He also explained about Arsene, stating that a persona was someone's 'true self', the one that lay beneath one's masks.

Confused and somewhat irritated, Ryuji pointed out that the drawbridge was up but the cat silenced any protest by pulling the jaw of a statue nearby. The bridge was lowered as a result.

But before they could get to pass, two armors like the one they had encountered earlier appeared.

''Come on, Zorro!'' Morgana cried. A top heavy warrior holding a rapier appeared in burst of blue fire.

''Oi, you have one too?'' Ryuji stared at the entity.

The cat blinked at the wording ''Too?''

Namine answered the unasked question when she removed her mask and summoned Arsene, making the cat's jaw drop in shock.

''She has a persona?! All the more better!''

Arsene kicked one of the enemies and blasted it with red light. Morgana smirked ''That's good, especially since you're starting out. Here's how you do it, Namine.'' He turned to the enemy before him and held up a sword that was even bigger than him. ''Zorro, Garu!''

The persona summoned a gust of wind that left the enemy reeling. Morgana ran up to it and slashed ''Take that!''

It disappeared in a moment, allowing them to relax as the personas faded away. But then, to their surprise, so did Namine's new outfit.

''I don't think you have enough control over this yet.'' Morgana noted. ''But that's okay, it'll come. I'm impressed, your persona's powerful!''

Soon they were able to leave the castle, but not before Ryuji spotted a red blazer on the ground. ''Hey, that's...''

''Don't worry about it. This has to do with the Palace and its ruler's cognition, just like prisoners.'' Morgana stated. ''Come on, we need to keep going.''

''Yeah...'' He glanced at the item again, confirming that it was what he thought it was before following him and Namine.

The three stopped outside and faced each other. ''Thank you, Morgana.'' Namine smiled.

''Not a problem!'' The cat smiled back.

''What're you going to do?''

''There's something I need here so I'll be staying. I'll have to lay low for now but I'll work my out.''

''Then, be careful.''

Morgana nodded ''You guys too.''

They headed in seperate ways, with Morgana going closer to the castle but Namine and Ryuji kept going until the air shifted again and it started losing its purple tint...

* * *

'You have returned to the real world. Welcome back.'

''Finally!'' Ryuji grinned. He stretched and let out a relieved sigh ''So, we should...''

''Hey, what're you doing here?'' An officer made his way over.

The blond looked at him ''Oh! We were at this weird place and...''

''What're you...'' It was then that they noticed Namine swaying where she stood. She held on the wall for a few moments to steady herself and spoke.

''Sorry...I got lost. I only came to the city recently but I didn't have a chance to learn much about the area. We were going to school but I've been feeling sick. This is my first day in school, Sakamoto-kun's trying to help me.''

''Ah, that's how it is?'' The officer nodded. Well, he could let them off lighter if that was the case. ''You need any help?'' The girl shook her head and he looked at Ryuji. ''Hey, be careful with her.''

''I know.'' Ryuji took the exit they were offered and began leading Namine away.

* * *

''Sorry for dragging you in this.'' Namine said once they were out of earshot.

''Eh, I don't mind. This is the least thing I can do after all what happened.'' Ryuji said with a wave of his hand. ''Why'd you stop me from mentioning the palace anyway?''

''I didn't think he'd believe us, considering how crazy things got back there.''

''Oh, when you put it like that...'' He couldn't blame her. It also seemed like the place vanished with no sign of its existence.

Yeah, it would be a tough story to sell.

''You gonna be okay there?''

''Yeah...I think I'm just tired. I could use some rest.''

''You'll get it soon. We're almost there.'' He assured, glancing at their destination.

* * *

 _Well, this seems like the best place to stop._

 _So here we are, the first day and Namine's awakening, so to speak. Which I think you expected,I will admit though that I hesitated on using Arsene as her persona for a while. I like him though. The main reason has to do with my plot. But I thought it over and he would fit well with my story after all. You'll see what I mean later._

 _Plotwise I'm actually in the middle of Madarame's arc but I wanted to take some time to prepare a chapter. I hope it was good._

 _Notes:_

 _-The day Arsene and Namine are alluding to is an event that happened two years prior to the story. It also relates to Arsene's vow and his awakening. Said event will be explained later in this arc but it will become more relevant later on. It's actually the main reason I considered using a persona other than Arsene._

 _-This will be explained later but just to clarify, Namine's recovering from a few injuries she'd taken as a result of the case. One of the officers lost his temper when he believed her to be lying as she explained about that night and he hit her. Once others found out he was stopped, but not before he caused some damage. So suffice to say, between the mess in the palace and awakening Arsene, she's completely exhausted._

 _-I thought I might as well give a heads up, which could be a bit of a spoiler. I don't get why they had the protagonist take so long to recognize Shido but that actually gave me an idea. This won't happen here. It won't be right from the first time she sees him though. Namine's recognition will be what sparks the Phantom Thieves' attention on the man and have them consider changing his heart._

 _-In case I got anyone confused, Namine's metaverse gear is a somewhat similar to Asuna's undine game outfit in ALO, since that's what actually gave me the idea._

 _Well, that's all I had to say. I hope the chapter was good and I'd appreciate feedback. Till next time!_


	3. Chapter 3

_Hey, this is turning out better than I thought. Once again, keeping it short, here's the new chapter. I hope you like it._

* * *

Ryuji huffed as he made his way to class, annoyed that it had to take longer than he wanted. They were found by one of the teachers, who told them off and took them to the counselor's office, were they ran into Kamoshida too. Instead of catching a hint, they just kept scolding them and it took Namine almost passing out for them to finally let him take her to the nurse like he wanted to do all along. The girl really was exhausted, but then he wasn't so surprised, a lot had happened.

* * *

''I see...so that's why...'' Kawakami trailed off when the nurse finished explaining everything.

She had assumed that Namine had actually skipped class, leaving her rather annoyed at that their thoughts of the girl were true. Said feelings turned to guilt as the teacher came across the nurse's office, the woman told her everything and it turned out Namine had been asleep here the whole time. The girl did look exhausted, she had to admit, what on earth happened?

* * *

Namine sighed to herself after her introduction to the class as she took a seat behind the girl she had seen this morning, who she learned was called Takamaki Ann.

Somehow, the word about her record had spread out. A part of her had wondered if it would happen but definitely not so soon. Weren't the teachers supposed to keep student details private?

She inwardly sighed, sadness and resignation settling within her. Was there any point in starting over? It was like her old school all over again.

''So that's the criminal?''

''She doesn't seem so bad...''

''I know, she's pretty...''

''Are you kidding?! She's definitely bad news!''

''Yeah, just keep away from her! I heard she'll attack anyone who makes her mad!''

''I guess it makes sense. She was arrested for assault, after all.''

Seeing nothing else to be done about it, Namine tried to tune the talk out to the best of her ability. It wasn't really working, but she had the sinking suspicion that she would be getting lots of practice.

Everyone looked at Kawakami as she called that it was time to begin the lesson...

* * *

''I don't know who spread your record, it was a surprise. That definitely wasn't me.'' Kawakami stated as she and Namine stood near the class. She sighed ''Why did this have to happen to me...''

Namine chose not to respond to that, ignoring the possible ways that she could have. Though there was no denying that the teacher's behavior did irk her. ''...Guess it's just the way it is, Sensei. There's no changing this now.''

''You may have a point there.'' The teacher agreed. ''Anyway, there's something I think you should know.'' Namine gave her a curious look. ''The nurse said Sakamoto brought you to her. Word of advice: Don't get involved with him.''

''I...heard some bad talk about him before, I never caught a reason though.''

''Well...it's kind of a long story. He's a delinquent now, but he was different back when he was in...'' Kawakami stopped and frowned. ''...what're you doing there?''

''?'' Namine blinked and followed her line of sight, seeing Ryuji walk up to them.

''You still haven't removed that hair dye, Sakamoto? Good grief, if you weren't so stubborn...''

''Yeah, yeah, I'll get to it.'' Ryuji's dismissive tone showed that he could care less about her words. He looked at Namine ''Come on, I want to talk to you.''

The girl went along with him, seeing no reason not to comply. She had a feeling Ryuji wasn't the person they were making him out to be and he had been nice to her. She knew just what he wanted to talk about too...

* * *

''So...we weren't dreaming this morning, right?'' He asked a few minutes later.

Namine shook her head ''It seems unbelievable but I think it's safe to say that all happened.''

''Well then, how come Kamoshida acted like nothing happened?''

''Remember those shadow things Morgana talked about? He said that was one of them.''

Ryuji remembered the red jacket he'd seen before they left ''There's so many things we don't know...I want to go back.''

''Wait, after...?''

''Yeah, I know it's dangerous. You're the reason we made it out alive but still...'' Ryuji paused, looking frustrated. ''...there's something fishy going on there.''

Namine knew there was a problem to this statement ''Well, I can see where you're coming from but neither of us know how we got there. It just seems like a coincidence.''

''True...maybe we're missing something though. Did anything weird happen before we got there?'' Ryuji saw her mull this over before shrugging.

''Not that I can think of.''

He sighed ''Well, I guess it would take time...'' A pause. ''...so I guess you heard about me, huh? Like how she was telling you not to get involved.''

''Mm, but if you were half as bad you were made out to be, we wouldn't be here right now.''

Ryuji chuckled ''Heh, can't argue with that. Tell ya what, let's think on this. Meet me here tomorrow?''

''Sure.''

* * *

Namine had to explain things to Sojiro (leaving the part about the Metaverse out, of course). Seeing how weary she appeared, he'd settled with telling her to make sure it doesn't happen again.

After she fell asleep, she wound up dreaming of the blue prison again.

''Welcome back.'' The long nosed man she knew as Igor acknowledged as she approached the cell bars. The twin wardens stood nearby.

''So...I never got around to asking last time, what is this place?'' Namine started.

''The Velvet Room,'' Igor replied. ''It's location is concealed from most, and it appears however our guest believes...or perhaps views themselves to be. I'd imagine a prison cell is a fitting location for someone like you, Trickster.''

Namine hummed in agreement, briefly thinking of her probation. For a moment she wondered why he called her Trickster but it didn't seem too important.

Igor then went on ''I would like to congratulate you on your awakening. Removing your mask is not easy but it's a first, and big step towards your rehabiiliation.''

''Okay, maybe I'm grasping at straws but...you know about what happened in the castle?''

''Naturally.'' The man returned. ''We have plans for your rehabilitation and you've just made an excellent step forward.''

Namine looked pensive, he mentioned this on her first visit too. What rehabilitation though? She wasn't the one who needed it, the man who got her arrested was.

''I will tell you more soon. You should get some rest, I'm looking forward to seeing more of your progress.''

* * *

The next day...

Namine stopped thinking back on that exchange, knowing there was no use mulling it over now. She glanced at the spare umbrella she borrowed from Sojiro after hearing part of the forecast and was only thankful she did so as it was already raining by the time she left Leblanc.

As she is turning the corner into another street, another person comes from a different direction, almost bumping into her in their rush.

''Sorry about that...'' The new arrival started. Namine blinked, recognizing the blond girl she had seen yesterday.

''Here.'' She held the umbrella up to cover them both. ''You're trying to get out of the rain, huh?''

''Yeah...'' The girl smiled sheepishly. ''...thanks, I meant to pick an umbrella but it just slipped my mind later...''

''That's okay, come on.''

As they entered the school, neither missed the whispers that were coming their way. The blond's eyes narrowed a bit at this but Namine's expression remained unreadable, making the former ask. ''Doesn't that bother you?''

''Yeah, but there's no stopping it, is there?'' Namine asked in return. ''If even the teachers treat this like it was nothing, they'd hardly listen to us. This is some rumor mill though...''

The girl snorted ''You can say that again, I wish they'd just stop.'' She blinked. ''Oh, I'm Takamaki Ann, you're-Hyakuya Namine, right?'' She added, remembering her introduction in class.

''Mm, nice to meet you.''

They wound up meeting again at lunch, during which Namine was introduced to a girl with dark hair and brown eyes. She was Suzui Shiho, Ann's best friend.

Namine's brow furrowed as she noticed the bruise on Shiho's face ''That looks painful. Er, are you okay?''

''Y-yes, it's fine...'' Shiho said with a small smile, though she had to suppress a wince which neither girl missed. ''...it's just a little accident from practice.''

''Practice?''

''Shiho's a member of the volley ball team,'' Ann informed, getting an 'ah' of comprehension from the other girl then.

''Kamoshida-sensei takes the training really seriously.'' Shiho went on to say, missing how Namine stiffened at this.

Kamoshida was their coach? Namine suddenly thought back on yesterday's events.

That...could really be a problem.

Shaking her head, Namine gave Shiho her juice box. ''This could help. Normally, I'd go with an ice pack but this is pretty cold.''

Shiho gave her a curious look, deciding that it couldn't do any harm. If anything, it felt rather nice against her bruised skin. ''Thank you.''

Ann gave her a grateful look ''I knew those rumors were completely off. You haven't even been here for two days and suddenly they figured you out? Anyone should be able to tell that something's wrong.''

Shiho nodded ''Try not to let it get you down, Hyakuya-san. Not everyone believes those things. Ann and I have our own experiences with rumors.'' At the girl's curious look, she added. ''People treat her like an exotic object because she's quarter-american. I didn't care for the rumors so I got to know her and now we're best friends. Things will look up eventually.''

''Thanks, I hope you're right, Suzui-san.''

* * *

Ryuji looked up at the sound of footsteps, looking at the entrance to the roof where he saw Namine entering. His expression turned relieved as the girl walked over, having sent her a text earlier which asked her to meet him here.

''Hey, ah, you doin' better?''

''Yeah, plenty...yesterday was just a little too much...'' Namine stated. ''...but I guess you want to talk about it?''

''Yeah...'' The boy paused. ''...I want to trying going back there.'' He explained about the jacket he had seen before, which in fact belonged to the volleyball team.

Namine looked alarmed ''So someone might still be there?''

''Exactly.'' Ryuji affirmed. ''We should still find out just what it was all about too. Whaddya say? You up for helping me out?''

She nodded after a moment ''Let's do it.''

* * *

The two headed back to the alley. At first, they stumbled a bit but Ryuji remembered hearing a navigator yesterday, which lead to them checking Namine's phone.

As it turned out, the strange app she hadn't been able to get rid off seemed to be a nav of sorts. It was likely the reason they landed in the castle to begin with.

Once they had it figured out, Namine opened the history of the app which displayed: Kamoshida Suguru, Shujin Academy, Castle before pressing to activating the app.

Moments later, the air shifted and they were soon back at the gates of the castle. A sight that made Ryuji perk up, satisfied.

''All right, it worked!'' He blinked. ''Whoa, you changed back.''

''Oh...'' Namine also noted that her clothes had changed back into the dress from their previous visit.

''You look good...anyway, come on, let's go!''

''Hold it.'' He turned to the girl in surprise. ''Remember what happened before? Going right through the entrance is a terrible idea, let's find another way.''

In a few minutes, they managed to break in through a window before finding themselves in a dark room. Its door was slightly open, leading to the hall. Namine made a point of ensuring that there was no one in sight before motioning to Ryuji and they moved out.

It was as the two left another room that they heard screams in the distance, making them stiffen in surprise.

''What the hell was that?!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

''It looks like we were right...'' Namine trailed off.

Ryuji thought back to their earlier conversation and caught on ''Oh, damn we've gotta hurry!''

It was as they neared a room with a big door that they found someone running around on the second floor.

''Morgana!''

The cat paused, his eyes widening at the sight of the teens ''Oh, Namine and Blondie, you came back!''

''Oi, my name is...!''

Morgana spoke over the boy ''What're you doing here?''

''Well...'' Namine's words died in her mouth when she spotted a black and red substance dividing into three before them.

''Careful, we've got enemies!'' Morgana warned, holding his scimitar at the ready.

She nodded back, preparing her own weapon. The shadows formed into three knights like the ones they faced yesterday.

''Zorro, show your might!''

''Arsene!''

The swashbuckler and gentleman thief appeared in a fiery blaze. The former proceeded to send one of the knights spinning with a Garu, making it drop its weapon. The latter lunged at a second one while Morgana slashed it and Namine struck the weaponless shadow down. Arsene then destroyed one with Eiha while the rest disposed of the other two.

The three were then startled by another scream. Ryuji grit his teeth ''Hey, Monamona!''

''It's Morgana!''

''Whatever! You know where those screams are coming from?''

''I think so, probably from the prisoners in the basement.'' The cat replied.

''So that bastard really was keeping people locked up,'' Ryuji fumed. ''He can't get away with this!''

Morgana watched him go for a moment before looking at Namine ''Any reason he seems to hate Kamoshida so much?''

''I don't know...''

''Oi, you two, come on!'' Ryuji called.

* * *

Along the way they got to learn more from Morgana, who explained how the Metaverse was the realm of people's hearts. Here desires and beliefs become reality, so when desires are twisted, a Palace is formed. They were currently in Kamoshida's Palace, essentially how he saw the school, with the one they saw yesterday being his shadow.

Morgana had affirmed Namine's suspicion that Kamoshida wouldn't know what was going on here, which had stemmed from the fact that he had acting as if nothing happened in school.

''So anyone can have a persona?'' Ryuji asked.

''It depends on will.'' Morgana started. ''Personas are awakened to one's strength of heart. This can happen in any number of ways, but the most important part is being able to truly face yourself and accept every part of it. They are a part of you, after all.''

''How does that work?''

The cat looked exasperated ''I just said it happens in ways. How would I know?''

''He means it depends on the situation and trigger.'' Namine offered. ''But it also depends on you, if you're willing to go the extra mile and truly accept yourself. Sound about right, Morgana?''

''Absolutely!'' was the response. ''You're sharp and pretty, nice to have someone reliable.''

''Aww, thanks!'' Morgana had to fight the momentary urge to purr when she pet him then. ''You're adorable. It's lucky we met you, we'd be pretty lost otherwise.''

''Happy to help!'' The cat beamed, seeming somewhat smug.

Ryuji rolled his eyes ''Don't feed his ego, Namine.''

''? It's true though...'' The girl said, missing the cat glaring at him. She saw no reason not to give credit where it was due.

Morgana huffed ''What're you doing there anyway?''

Ryuji held up the item he'd been fiddling with, letting them see that it was a gun. ''I found a shop that sells models yesterday. I know I can't fight those things but I can at least try to scare them off.''

''That's actually not a bad idea.'' Morgana remarked. ''Hm...hand it to Namine for a bit. That's more useful than you think.''

''What do you mean?''

''Well...'' The cat noticed a shadow coming down the hall. ''...perfect, I'll just show you.''

* * *

Morgana demonstrated how to knock the shadow down before initiating what he called a Hold Up, where he aimed a slingshot at the enemy and had Namine leveling the gun at the shadow. He explained how they could use this chance to negotiate with the shadows, earning money or items. If they weren't willing to cooperate, they would either flee or be destroyed. The cat went on to promise that he would show them how to ambush enemies at the soonest opportunity.

''Man, I never thought it would be this good...'' Ryuji admitted as they went back on their way to the basement.

''Remember, your heart makes it real here.'' Morgana stated.

''That's handy...'' Namine trailed off.

''No kidding, since you know so much? What's up with the new clothes?'' Ryuji inquired.

''That gear's a symbol of a persona.'' Morgana informed. ''I call it soul armor. It works to defend a person from the distortions in a palace.''

''Distortions?''

''Well...it's kind of hard to explain. You know how I told you Kamoshida's desires were twisted? The distortions are a side effect created because of that.''

''Is there any reason it looks like...?'' Namine gestured to her dress.

''It pretty much depends on you. The persona's your true self, so this is a symbol of something that influences you.'' Morgana explained.

''Huh...'' Namine did remember reading about Arsene Lupin a few years ago and she did think the book was cool, so maybe that affected her? ''...I figured I'd have a harder time to move about in this but it's actually better than some of my normal clothes.''

''What, so you're a tomboy or something?'' Ryuji asked.

''Ah, I kind of was. A few of the boys back home used to get a kick of teasing me and my friends, I got sick of it and helped made sure they would stop. You couldn't pay me enough to get in a dress back then, it just seemed to feed more fuel to the fire. They backed off once we started beating them at their own games and Mom and an old friend made sure to talk me out of that phase.''

''They sound stupid...''

''Kids will be kids after all.'' Morgana said with a shrug. ''I never could have guessed though, you seem pretty graceful, like this is easy for you.''

Namine giggled and thanked him ''Let's back track a little, you were saying something about distortions before?''

''Right, a person could be affected by the palace's power if they don't have the armor.''

Ryuji looked unnerved while Namine frowned ''Wait, so you mean I...''

''It hasn't happened so far so I think you'll be okay for now.'' The cat stated. ''You wanted to get to the basement, right? It's pretty close.''

True to word, they were at the spot in a few minutes. She raised an eye at the plaque above it, which had the words ''...Kamoshida's training hall of love?''

''The heck?'' Ryuji let out while Morgana seemed just as confused. Frowning, the blond pushed the door and they walked in.

It was a big area which led to a number of cells. All the cells had teenagers who were dressed up in what Ryuji knew was the volleyball team uniform. Some were forced to run on treadmills for water, others were bound upside down as a cannon fired volley balls in their stomach and others were even being hit by shadows to force them to keep moving.

All in all, the grim state of things left the three shocked and more than a little disturbed.

''Dammit, this is even worse than I thought!'' Ryuji exclaimed, Namine seemed saddened by the sight before them while Morgana's eyes narrowed. ''Come on, we've got to free them!''

''Wait, that's why you wanted to come?'' Morgana had tried to ask earlier but Ryuji had wound up urging them to hurry and through all that happened, he'd forgotten to check again. ''There's no use...''

''How can you say that?! Ah, never mind!'' He ran closer to the cells.

Morgana groaned ''Would it kill him to listen for a minute?! This isn't going to do any good!''

Namine looked at him ''What do you mean it's no use?''

''Those players aren't real, barely any different from shadows, in fact. They're a part of Kamoshida's cognition.''

''Eh? Then...'' Namine was distracted when they caught up with a frustrated Ryuji, who told them that the players seemed completely resigned and they didn't seem to want to leave.

''That's what I was trying to say, those players are like a part of the Palace. They do whatever Kamoshida wants them to, there's no point trying to help them get free, they won't listen.''

Ryuji cursed ''So what now...hey, Namine?'' He raised an eye, noticing the girl's troubled look, she seemed to be getting alarmed.

''Morgana, if the shadow's a part of someone and this place reflects how Kamoshida sees the school...'' Namine paused, thinking briefly of Shiho. ''...wouldn't that mean...''

''...You caught on, huh? You really are sharp, Namine.'' The cat admitted. ''I think it's safe to say you're right.''

''What're you two talking about?'' Ryuji demanded, not wanting to be left out of the loop.

''She means there's a high chance he's abusing the players in the real world.''

His eyes widened ''Wait...that reminds me, there's rumors going on about Kamoshida and the volley ball team. Some people said weird things about the training...but no one did anything so I thought it was just talk...'' He clenched a fist. ''...I should've known that bastard would sink so low! I know some of those people and I memorized the others' faces, I'll ask them about this when we get back. Kamoshida can't get away with this.''

''Then it's time we head back.'' Morgana stated.

* * *

Unfortunately though, they were found out by the time they reached the entrance hall.

Shadow Kamoshida leered at the trio from his perch on the higher floor while his shadow knights closed in on them. ''You fools must truly have a death wish to crash into my castle again.''

''Kamoshida...'' Ryuji growled.

The shadows stepped closer, Namine and Morgana prepared to fight. Shadow Kamoshida chuckled ''Well, well, struggle all you want, pathetic scum. My knights will dispose of you!''

Namine dodged a spear before slashing the attacker's arm. Morgana used his sword to stop another weapon hitting him before summoning Zorro and sending the enemy crashing back with a Garu. Moments later, Arsene lunged at a shadow and destroyed with a close up double round of Eiha while Zorro slashed another one. A third knight got to hit it with the shaft of the spear and a fourth one tackled Arsene, leaving the persona users winded from the damage the entities took.

The battle continued at this rate, with Namine and Morgana's teamwork slowly improving. They gave as good as they got, with Morgana taking a moment occasionally to heal either one of them.

Trouble was, the numbers were against them. The shadows were slowly but surely closing in.

A knight ran and tackled Arsene's side, knocking the persona down. Namine also fell as a result and Arsene disappeared. Morgana tried to help her before the shadows took advantage of this lapse in their force but a couple of knights had already closed his path, one hitting him with the shaft of his spear, making him crash down while Zorro vanished and the second shadow pinned him down.

''Guys!'' Ryuji looked alarmed as Shadow Kamoshida laughed.

''You see! You had no chance in the first place, scum!''

''They're strong...'' Morgana grunted.

Shadow Kamoshida smirked ''Hmph, this was bound to be the outcome.'' His eyes fell on Namine, getting one of the shadows to bring her closer. ''It really is a shame...you're a beauty, not nearly on the same level as my princess, of course. I can't wait to have my way with you.'' The girl glared back. ''It would be fun to break that defiant attitude...''

''Get away from her!'' Ryuji snapped.

''Right now, you creep!'' Morgana added.

''Try and make me.'' The self proclaimed king responded. ''Well, not that there is anything you can do. I'm the clear winner here, as it should be.'' He snapped his fingers, a shadow appeared before Ryuji then.

Namine's eyes widened ''Ryuji, get out of here!''

''What? I can't...that's...''

''That's right, just run away, Sakamoto.'' Shadow Kamoshida sneered. ''You're a powerless piece of trash, after all. What else can you do?'' The boy grit his teeth. ''You just rushed in here even, acting like you could change anything even when you're helpless, huh?'' He ignored the boy's protest. ''I bet you never would've gotten anywhere if it wasn't for those two friends of yours. So this is how the track traitor ends up...how pathetic.''

''Track traitor?'' Morgana echoed.

Shadow Kamoshida looked from the cat to Namine, picking up on their confusion. ''Oh? So you two came along without even knowing a thing? Shujin had a track team a year ago, this fool was the star runner. He attacked me so, naturally I defended myself and broke his leg, then disbanded the track team. He caused his teammates so much pain and suffering...''

''That was all your fault, you damn bastard! It was because you provoked me and you know it!'' Ryuji snapped.

''So that's why...'' Namine muttered as she and Morgana stared at the boy sadly. They knew something was off there. Aside from the fact that they couldn't trust the shadow, Ryuji just didn't seem like the kind of person who'd hurt someone for no reason.

''Tell it to someone who cares.'' Shadow Kamoshida went on ''It doesn't matter what you say, I'm the king of Shujin. I hold all the power here, you're just a fool who went out of their place. You made it all too easy for me.''

''What're you talking about?'' Ryuji demanded.

''Isn't it obvious? I needed a way to get rid of your damn team, you were getting all the fame I wanted. You were the biggest threat to my rise to power. Then I was told about you and it all fell into place.'' The shadow smirked. ''After that, all I had to do was make a little plan and you walked right into it.''

''Then...'' The meaning was becoming clear for all but Ryuji had to ask. ''...you...you did it on purpose?!''

''That's right, so what? I said it before and I'll say it again, you're nothing but a worthless piece of trash. You had no place getting what I wanted...''

''Just shut up already!''

Namine's voice brought attention to the girl, who was glaring at the self-proclaimed king. She was sick of hearing him talk, he'd not only hurt Ryuji badly, but he was also hurting his students when he should be looking out for them. And if that wasn't bad enough, he was all too proud of his actions. What kind of teacher was this?

''Who do you think you are? It's not up to you to decide a person's worth!'' She went on. ''You have no right abusing your power like this. The only piece of trash here is you. Ryuji, you don't have to take this lying down, he's wrong!''

''Yeah...'' The boy let out, glowering at their enemy. ''...you mother fucking son of a bitch! I lost everything because of you, you're going to pay, big time!''

Just then, he was hit by a sharp wave of pain that made him hold his head.

'You made me wait quite a while.' A new voice said. 'You seek revenge, correct? Then let us form a pact. Since your name has been disgraced already, why not the hoist the black flag and wreck havoc? The ''other you'' who exists within desires it. I am thou, thou art I...There is no turning back! The skull of rebellion is your flag henceforth!'

Ryuji's eyes turned gold and a silver skull mask appeared on his face. He removed it, causing blood to spill. It was soon consumed by azure flames that consumed Ryuji, forming into a pirate. The entity had a skull for a head, towering above everyone as it rode on a boat. Ryuji was now clad in a black biker's outfit, with a red scarf, yellow gloves and plated knuckles.

''Right on...'' The teen grinned. ''...wassup, persona? This rocks! Blast away, Captain Kidd!''

The new persona needed further prompting. It blasted the shadows nearby with lightning from its cannon, destroying them and freeing Morgana in the process. It then launched more lightning blasts from its arm cannon, disposing of all enemies in the blast radius. Two knights tried to hit him but Captain Kidd simply flew back, making them miss before blasting them. As they tried to attack, he rushed them, making them collide with the boat in the process. Likewise, Ryuji took care of enemies on his end with some well-timed blows of his newfound weapon, a pipe.

Shadow Kamoshida made to summon more shadows as Ryuji and Morgana glared at him. He didn't realize what they were after until Captain Kidd tackled the shadow restraining Namine, easily catching the girl as the enemy was sent flying.

She smiled ''Thanks.'' Captain Kidd inclined his head in return before everyone looked at the shadows. Namine summoned Arsene, who proceeded to destroy the returning knight and its horse. Morgana cut a shadow before Ryuji struck it on the head, finishing it off. The three leveled their weapons at the remaining enemies, attacking simultaneously before a lightning blast from Captain Kidd and a burst of darkness courtesy of Arsene finished the battle.

Shadow Kamoshida grit his teeth ''Lousy little...it matters not. You're still in my castle. I am king, I control everything that goes down here.''

''Oh yeah? Well we seem to be doing a good job of ruining your plans then!'' Morgana pointed out, making him scowl.

''You'll regret this soon.'' He warned, just as a familiar figure appeared next to him.

It was Ann. Now she wore a purple bikini, a cat-eared diadem and slippers. She smiled at the sight of Shadow Kamoshida and leaned against him.

''Wow! What a meow-velous girl!'' Morgana exclaimed.

''Takamaki-san?'' Namine let out, bewildered.

Ryuji looked just as thrown ''What the heck?''

Morgana blinked ''You know her?''

''She's a classmate.'' Namine said slowly. ''I met her today. But this...''

They didn't know what was going on, but Namine couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. She remembered what happened yesterday when Kamoshida found them, and Ann's troubled expression after she got on the car.

It just made this seem all the more wrong.

''Ah damn, the bastard got away!'' Ryuji grimaced, seeing that Shadow Kamoshida had taken advantage of their distraction to escape, with the girl quickly having followed him.

Morgana frowned ''Never mind, it's better if we go too. Awakening a persona is exhausting, we need to leave before we find more trouble.''

* * *

Soon they were back at the Palace's entrance, all around relieved at how things turned out.

''Oh hey, my clothes...'' Ryuji blinked, taking his metaverse gear in.

''It's like Namine's, this will protect you from the distortions of the palace.'' Morgana stated.

''Huh...that was something else, right?''

''Yeah, way to fight back. That sure showed him.'' Namine smiled.

Ryuji grinned back, grateful for the praise ''Ah well, thanks! You guys were great too...''

Morgana just smiled in return, hearing him go on ''So what was that about? I've known Takamaki for years but that was weird...really weird. Was the rumor that she with that bastard true?''

''I'd have to say, no.'' Morgana stated. ''That was probably the princess Kamoshida mentioned. If anything, I get the feeling that she's like the prisoners, a part of his cognition.''

That sounded more believable to them, especially since they had seen how the girl acted in the real world. Ryuji wondered if he could get her help in dealing with Kamoshida.

Morgana crossed his arms ''So you said something about talking to the prisoners' real selves before?''

''Yeah, now that I know what's going on, I'm not leaving things like this. They're probably too scared to talk, but we can stop this.''

''Don't be surprised if they're not too open to the idea,'' The cat warned. ''It's pretty likely that what we saw down there reflects their real state even more than it seemed.''

''We're just going to have to try either way.'' Namine stated. ''Leaving things now doesn't sit right with me either, no one deserves this treatment. What're you going to do, Morgana?''

''There's something I need to find here. I'm narrowing the area down but that's about it so far...I might see you guys soon though.''

''All right, good luck then. If you need any help...''

''Thanks, Namine, I might take you up on that. Good luck to you too.''

''See ya around.'' Ryuji added.

He watched the two leave via the app, thoughtful for a few moments. ''Hmm...I'll tell them some more when we meet again. No need to rush it, they might not listen after all this anyway.''

* * *

Ryuji surprised Namine by taking her to a ramen shop, more so when he admitted that he had wanted to do this since yesterday but she was too tired at the time.

He grinned as two bowls of ramen were set for them. ''Eat up, it's my treat.'' The blond waved off her following thanks with ''This is the least I can do. You've helped me out big time even when you didn't have to...like standing up for me back there.''

''Yeah, you helped me right back so no big deal.'' Namine stated.

''Heh, well after all this, you're pretty much like a friend now.''

''You can just say we are friends, right?'' Namine backtracked a little, missing his relief at this. ''If you're okay with it...you know with all the talk about me...''

''Oh, that stuff?'' Ryuji rolled his eyes, his mind made up. Namine's earlier words and actions merely helped make that faster. ''It's a load of crap. You're way too nice for any of that to be true. How'd you get a record in the first place though?''

''Well...''

''Are you kidding me?!'' He cried after the explanation. ''The prick even got them believing everything too? What the hell?! I figured that talk was all lies but this is too much.''

''I guess it's just something we have in common then.'' Namine offered, not expecting him to get angry for her. It felt kind of nice though. ''You're not the person everyone thinks you are and I'm stuck being falsely labeled like that.''

''True...'' Ryuji's grip tightened on his chopsticks. ''...it was Kamoshida's fault...I knew that but I never thought he was really out to get us all along. He ruined so many people just for fame! Me and my friends, my mom...Mom had to come to school through that mess...You wanna know the worst part? She felt guilty, thinking she wasn't taking good care of me. Dad left after he abused us too... _She_ actually apologized to _me_ when I'm the one who messed things up. It's just like he said, I played into his hands. I will make him pay for Mom and everyone of his victims.''

''You mean we will.'' Namine corrected. ''I said it, didn't I? I'll help, I don't want to let this continue. We're going to find just what's going on here and stop him.''

Ryuji smiled at her ''Thanks a lot.''

Then something in the air seemed to change...

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Chariot Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

Namine woke up in the Velvet Room again that night, going up to the cell and facing Igor, with the wardens Caroline and Justine nearby just like before.

''Welcome, Trickster.'' He greeted. ''You're making excellent progress. Forming bonds with others will not only increase your power but it will go on to help you heal from your pain as well. I understand you've had some trouble with the issue but how do you feel about your persona now?''

''Wait, before I answer that...the way you're talking, Igor...you know what happened two years ago?''

''Naturally. You are our guest after all, we'd need the information we can get to help you.'' was the response.

''Oh...'' Lost in memories for a moment, Namine then remembered that he was waiting for an answer. ''...well, it did make me kind of uncomfortable sometimes when everything sank in. But I thought it over, after everything we've learned recently, I know this is different.'' She felt Arsene's presence close by and instinctively turned back to see the gentleman thief behind her.''It was just the memories you stirred. You're a part of me, I know that. If anything, thanks to you, I feel...liberated. Like I can really see things so differently, so I know it's not anything like back then...ah, sorry...''

'There is no need for apologies...' He cut her off. '...and no need to feel guilty either, there's nothing wrong with saying the truth. I'm satisfied as long as you understand that I'm willing to be your partner. This just signifies that you've truly moved on.' She nodded, smiling.

''Indeed...'' She looked back at Igor, who sounded pleased. ''...given your experience, I would think a little caution would certainly make sense. You've pulled through recent events to help in times of need, proving your strength. Times like this however, show your fortitude and strength of heart. I have great expectations of you, Trickster.''

Then once again...

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Fool Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

 _Aaand I think I'll break off here._

 _I wondered how much I should put in this chapter for a while but this seems like a good place to stop. I hope the chapter was all right._

 _Notes:_

 _-I know it seems a bit strange here since you don't know but the last two years were hectic in a way for Namine, because of that incident I mentioned. She's had plenty of time to deal with what happened. She fully accepted things but Arsene stirred up a few bad memories. She pushed those aside to get to work. She's mostly come to see things for how they were and this was just bring it all to light. What I put in the end was to show that Namine nipped the issue in the bud here and killed any chance of it making any sort of trouble in the future. Like I said, I'll explain about the incident behind said misgivings later down this arc so please bear with me for now._

 _-Part of the things I wrote down here consist of my own understanding about the game so I'm not really sure if it's all correct._

 _-I wanted to try changing things a little with Morgana, because I couldn't help think that if he gave the characters a little space, they might be more open to helping him. Yup, he's going to find them soon._

 _Well, that's really I had to say but if there's anything I forgot, feel free to ask. Any information about the metaverse and whatnot which I didn't include here, will be included soon enough. Reviews will be much appreciated, I'd like to hear opinions on how I'm doing so far._


	4. Chapter 4

_Well, I hope I did this part justice. Thanks for everyone who reads my work._

 _ILuvCupcakes2000: Thanks, I'll try my best._

 _Now here we go..._

* * *

On her way to school, Namine found herself reflecting on recent events. If she understood what Igor was implying and she was almost sure she did, the Metaverse was connected to his plans of rehabilitation. Whatever that meant. But he knew about what transpired on their end too, something about the way he talked yesterday made her wonder if the palace could really help them deal with Kamoshida after all.

Her thoughts came to a halt at the sight of the man in question near the school gate. Namine had to remind herself to keep calm and maintain a neutral expression as she went over.

''Oh, Hyakuya...'' He acknowledged, noticing her then. ''...for all your reputation, it seems like you're doing all right, huh?'' He hummed to himself as the girl replied positively. ''Good to hear. I was skeptic when you came in with Sakamoto before but it looks like you're sensible. That guy's nothing but trouble after all.''

Namine held back a retort. something hard to do now that she knew the truth. She disliked having to sit back and do nothing when people badmouthed her friends and she really hated having to be polite now but it was necessary. There was enough trouble to go around.

''...If that's all, Kamoshida-sensei? I need to get to class.''

''Right, right, go on. I'm done.'' Kamoshida gestured to the gate. She went on, missing how his eyes stayed on her retreating figure for a few seconds before her turned around.

'That couldn't have been easy.' Arsene commented.

'It wasn't, really.' Namine sighed. 'But you know why I did it, there's a lot we don't know and treating Kamoshida the way he deserves is only going to start problems now.'

'I suppose that's true.' The persona returned. 'Are they really that oblivious though? If those cognitive players from yesterday reflect what happens here...is it all hidden that well?'

'We're just going to have to find out.'

The girl was momentarily distracted upon noticing a boy walking nearby. He had blue hair and grey eyes, and seemed oddly familiar.

She thought it over for a bit and remembered that he was in her class. He seemed somewhat stiff as he walked though, and there were a pair of bruises on one of his arms...

''Hey, you all right?''

The boy looked back, his eyes widening ''Y-you...yes, I-I'm fine...''

Namine didn't buy it but the boy was already walking away, as if he couldn't leave fast enough.

'It's safe to say that this is one of the fools who believes the rumors about you.' Arsene remarked as Namine let out another sigh. 'I wonder whether to call this arrogance or idiocy. You've hardly had anytime here and now they think they know everything about you? You're truly kind to be this concerned.'

'Ah, far as I'm concerned, it's just decency.' Namine paused, glancing at the gym. There seemed to be quite the bit of activity.

''Hey, Namine!'' Ryuji walked over. ''What's up?''

''Nothing much...''

''So did you hear your persona talk...you know when we're here?''

''Yeah, you too?'' The girl tilted her head.

''Uh-huh...it really surprised me...'' Ryuji trailed off.

''Say, what's going on there?'' She gestured to the gym.

''Oh, that?'' He looked unimpressed. ''They're preparing for the rally. We've got less classes today because of it.''

Namine blinked, having heard of the event in passing ''I forgot about that...''

''Meh, it's nothing worth thinking about. Completely dull.'' Ryuji stated. ''But it might be useful. I remember the faces we saw yesterday, I'm gonna go talk to these guys. We've gotta do something about Kamoshida.''

Namine nodded ''Let's start from there then. How about we meet up when this thing kicks off?''

''Yeah!''

* * *

Namine glanced at her phone, seeing that it was almost time to their first class. Once more, she strove to ignore the looks and murmurs her presence seemed to have caused. The girl couldn't help but wonder how they were going to talk to the players, she didn't think just going straight into the topic would help. It might make things even worse if the cognitive players' fear reflected the real ones feelings over Kamoshida.

She briefly thought of Shiho, the kind girl who had gone out of her way to encourage her. Namine really didn't want to leave her in such a situation. There had to be some way to change things...

RS: **Hey, I ran into a couple of the guys but they just said nothing was wrong.**

Namine bit her lip as she glanced at the message her phone displayed but she wasn't all that surprised. A little disappointed maybe, but she had guessed this would happen.

NH: **I found one a few minutes ago. He didn't want to talk and he more or less dragged his friend away just like that.**

Ryuji replied seconds later...

RS: **Just great...I'm at the gym, the rally's about to start. Come on over.**

Namine headed in the direction of said area, noticing Ann heading in the same way. The girl looked at her and smiled ''Hi, Hyakuya-san.''

The former returned the greeting in kind and went on ''What's the deal with this rally anyway? From what I've heard, people sound pretty excited over it.''

''It's not really all that.'' Ann replied as they entered the gym. ''I think it's just the students who really like sports that are looking forward to it. Trust me, if it wasn't for Shiho, I could care less.''

''Oh, how is Suzui-san?''

''Pretty good! I bet the team's growing better and better with all the practice they've been doing.''

''I hear you...''

The girls talked for a bit before Namine noticed Ryuji and joined him. He looked at her ''Hey, some rotten luck, huh?''

''Yeah...I've been thinking, if the guys we say wouldn't even think of leaving the cell, maybe they're just too scared to tell the truth.''

''You might be right.'' He leaned back against the wall. ''But what do we do?''

''Hmm...''

Cheers resounded, now they could see that Kamoshida had scored a point against the other team. A few praises for his technique were heard and the man grinned before walking back to his place. The game kicked off again and he soon caught the ball, and made to move.

''See, pretty boring.'' Ryuji deadpanned. ''It's just a complete ego trip for Kamoshida...''

His voice trailed off as Kamoshida's next spike wound up hitting a student in the face, knocking him out. Both he and Namine cringed as some people went over.

''Sorry about that,'' Kamoshida grimaced. ''Someone get him to the infirmary!''

It was as another student volunteered to do so and picked up the boy that Namine got to see his face. He was the boy she ran into this morning. So he had been a team member after all...

Something else got her attention then though ''...Are you serious?''

Ryuji proved that he was thinking along similar lines ''He knocked a student out and they don't even care?''

'This is ridiculous...' Captain Kidd trailed off. '...Ryuji, why don't you try talking to that boy? You might be able to get something out of him.'

''It's worth a shot.''

* * *

The two wound up waiting at the infirmary for a bit before the boy, Mishima Yuki, woke up. While he'd been surprised and soon afraid (for some reason he was particularly wary of Namine) the teens managed to calm him down enough to get some answers.

Unfortunately, finding the truth out made this all much worse.

Why? It turned out that the problem was _everyone knew._ The members of the team, their parents and even a few of the teachers. The people involved just chose to turn a blind eye. Kamoshida was a famous former olympic player and he brought Shujin a lot of fame and reputation, which made him Principal Kobayakawa's favorite. The principal who clearly cared more about those things than the students' well fare.

All of which basically lead to the players believing that they had no choice but to bear it.

''He's just too powerful.'' Mishima went on. ''The situation's completely going his way, there's nothing we can do.''

''That's why he's powerful!'' Ryuji exclaimed, fed-up. ''You're all just letting him do whatever wants. You didn't even try to do anything!''

''It's pointless. Shouldn't you of all people know better? Standing up to him isn't going to do anything.''

Namine knew what he meant; the track team. Ryuji seemed to have understood too, because he ground his teeth and stormed out the infirmary. The remaining two sat in silence for a few moments.

''...You know, you're right.'' Namine said at last. ''Ryuji does know what it's like. That's just why he can't take this lying down. You guys shouldn't either, no one deserves this kind of treatment.''

When she found the blond, it was to see him kicking at a wall, clearly frustrated and more than a little angered at what they learned.

''Dammit, how the hell can he believe this stuff?!'' He exclaimed. ''It'll all messed up!''

''No kidding...'' Namine trailed off, idly thinking that Arsene was right. The Palace really did reflect the state of things here more than they imagined. ''...how could they do this? Why should the school's rep matter more than the students?''

''Got me, it's not even just the team.'' Ryuji grimaced. ''You missed Takamaki, she was here minutes ago and she basically said the same stuff Mishima did. She's convinced Kamoshida's too strong too.''

''Wait, you're not saying she knows about the abuse...?'' Namine frowned.

''I doubt it...'' He said after a moment, recalling what he knew about the girl. ''...I don't think she'd be so quiet if she did. She's protective of Suzui, so I know she wouldn't be quiet about that. Takamaki's convinced that Kamoshida's in the principal's pocket so there's nothing we can do about him.''

''Not yet, that is.'' A new voice said, startling them.

A black cat with bright blue eyes and a yellow scarf around its neck walked over to the two.

''Did you just...'' Ryuji stopped when Namine shook her head before looking at the cat.

''She didn't say anything, I did.'' The cat returned, ignoring the shock this caused. ''I did say I could make sure we'd meet up sooner, right?''

This made something click for Namine ''Wait a sec, Morgana?''

''Yep!''

''The hell? Since when can you come here? And you look real different!'' Ryuji added.

''This happened when I did, guess my usual form works only in the metaverse.'' Morgana stated nonchalantly. ''So I heard part of what you were saying, guess your plans failed?''

Namine nodded while Ryuji grimaced at the reminder. Morgana then spoke ''Well, luckily for you, I have a way that can help. The Metaverse has what you need to take care of Kamoshida.''

''Wait, for real?'' Ryuji asked.

''You said you'd explain things when we meet again.'' Namine recalled.

''Right.'' The cat nodded. ''Well, you might want to sit down. It's complicated...'' The two did so, waiting for him to begin. ''...see, I'm actually human.''

''What're you talking about? You look just like a cat!'' Ryuji stated.

''This happened because of the distortions in the Metaverse. They cost me my memories and human form.'' Morgana explained. ''I just woke up to find myself in the Metaverse. I have no idea why I know so much about that world, I just do...I've been going around trying to find out who I am. Then I found out about Kamoshida's Palace and I started planning to take his treasure.''

''Treasure?''

''That's the core of a palace. See, Palaces are actually created when a person's twisted desires grow greatly. If you take the treasure, the palace falls apart and it means you're effectively taking away that person's twisted desires.''

''Oh, so that's what you meant...'' Namine realized. ''...so without those desires, Kamoshida would really change and maybe even try to repent for his actions?''

''Exactly,'' Morgana affirmed. ''It's possible to even have him confess to everything. He'd never know what would happen in the metaverse either.''

''That sounds great!'' Ryuji exclaimed. ''So what else can you tell us?''

''Well...'' The cat sounded uncomfortable here. ''...there's one problem. There's a chance that Kamoshida could die.''

''Wait, what?''

''Desires are an integral part of a person. A person who loses that could lose his life...''

''Okay, no.'' Ryuji cut him off.

The cat blinked ''What do you mean no?''

''I mean we're not doing this.'' The boy replied. ''We're not going to kill anyone.''

''What? But you can't...is this all it takes to shake your resolve?'' Morgana demanded.

Namine frowned ''Morgana, are you listening to yourself? We might not like Kamoshida but that doesn't mean we can agree to having him die! Lives aren't something that can be treated so carelessly.''

The cat flinched and lowered his head while Ryuji nodded to her words. ''Is there some way we can make this work without the risk?''

''Well...the best way I can think of would be defeating Kamoshida's shadow and taking the treasure.'' Morgana admitted. ''Like I said, the treasure's a part of the Palace. If we take it, the Palace falls apart and Kamoshida's wicked desires would disappear.''

''But you're not sure?'' Morgana nodded after a moment.

Namine exhaled ''...I promised to help you and I want to keep that promise. Just...not like this. I'd like some time to think this over.''

''That's probably for the best.'' Morgana conceded, relieved by her words. ''I think I could use that too. I'll meet you guys up here later.''

* * *

''Sheesh, what's with that stupid cat? Acting like it's okay to consider him dying...'' Ryuji grunted as they made to leave the school.

Namine didn't respond but her expression proved that she was just as displeased at the thought. ''There's got to be a better way...''

''You're still here?''

The teens exchanged a curious look at the new voice and followed its source to their left where Kamoshida stood, facing a subdued looking Mishima.

''You're supposed to be in practice.'' The teacher went on.

''I-I don't feel well, Sensei...I was going to go home.''

Kamoshida sighed ''See, this is why you never improve, Mishima. You never even try. This is pathetic.''

''Oi, lay off!'' Ryuji exclaimed. ''He said he ain't feelin' well!''

''What, it's just you again?'' Kamoshida huffed. ''Stay out of this, Sakamoto.''

''No, you can't treat him like that!'' The blond pressed on.

''Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?'' The teacher retorted.

Namine's eyes narrowed ''Mishima-kun needs some time to rest or else he'll find up feeling even worse.''

''Yeah, you'd think an athlete would know something that basic.'' Ryuji jibed.

Kamoshida glared at the two for a moment before turning to Mishima, who flinched and looked away.

''I-I'll go...''

''Wait, what?'' Ryuji looked at him, surprised.

''I...I said I'll go...I can't skip practice.'' Mishima muttered.

Kamoshida looked smug ''There, you see? It's a good thing some do know their place after all. Go on and mind your own buisness from now on.''

Mishima followed the man reluctantly, refusing to look at the two teens.

Something had to be done.

* * *

Namine leaned back against a wall and sighed, wishing that their attempts hadn't failed on all accounts. As much as she had really wanted to do something about Kamoshida, she just couldn't bring herself to consider killing him. That was going too far.

The issue was that it looked like Morgana had the right idea and the Palace might be their best way to deal with this situation...

''...wait, what?''

She blinked at the familiar voice and looked to her near left, where Ann stood, talking to someone on the phone.

''I told you that I can't today, I'm busy!'' Ann went on, looking frustrated. ''What?! But you can't...!'' Her voice rose as the girl looked upset. ''No, wait...!'' Her fist clenched. ''...Shiho's position...''

''Takamaki-san?''

The girl started, looking up to see a worried Namine watching her. ''Are you okay?''

''...How much of that did you hear?''

''Part of it, that sort of just happened. I was just nearby when I happened to hear you.''

''Oh...well, never mind then, this has nothing to do with you.'' Ann said after a moment.

''...Actually, can we talk for a bit?''

* * *

The girls headed to Big Bang Burger, ordering water before taking their seats. They sat in silence for a bit before Namine kicked things off.

''Ryuji said you told him that there was nothing we could do about Kamoshida.''

''Oh, that...'' Ann recalled. ''...well, it's true.''

''...Was that him on the phone?'' Namine guessed. ''I just remembered he was talking to you a bit after class ended.''

''Yeah, it was...'' Ann looked down. ''...you heard the rumors, right? About me and Kamoshida-sensei...everyone thinks we're getting it on. But that's so not true...I only played along to help Shiho...''

''I know how messed up the rumors get. I'm another example of that, remember?'' Namine offered.

''Right...'' The blonde acknowledged the fact, understanding that she didn't believe the rumors. ''...well, back in school and a few minutes ago...he was telling me to go to his place.'' Namine's eyes widened a bit as she watched the upset girl with concern.

'Once again, the Metaverse doesn't fall short of the real world.' Arsene remarked. 'It seems that the man is just as interested in her as the shadow was in that fake princess. So he was forcing himself on her all along, what a disgusting human.'

Namine bit her lip as she held back her anger, completely agreeing with her Persona. She knew Ann faced some trouble in school but she never imagined how bad this went...

''I told myself it would be okay...for Shiho. But I can't take it anymore!'' They heard Ann continue. ''I hate him...but if I don't do something he's probably going to take her off the team. I can't let him...I can't let him hurt her...she's the only thing I've got in that sad excuse of a school!'' Tears fell down her face at this. ''Tell me, what should I do?''

Namine tried to speak but she couldn't think of much of anything to say. What could she say to help now?

''Sorry...'' Ann wiped her eyes. ''...just forget I said that...I was the one who said this didn't have to do with you.''

''...That's not something you need to be sorry for. Everyone could use a helping hand now and then...even if asking for help isn't easy.''

Ann gave a small smile ''I knew the talk about you was wrong. You really are kind, Hyakuya-san...''

''So are you.'' The girl returned. ''I don't get why you were trying to tell us to stop...you clearly haven't just given up, have you? Otherwise, we wouldn't be here.''

Ann blinked as the point sank in ''Heh, I didn't think of it like that...I guess you're right.''

''You know...I think he's going to get what he deserves, Takamaki-san.''

''I hope you're right, Hyakuya-san. I hope you're right...''

* * *

''Wait, the news about your record is out? How'd that happen?'' Sojiro asked, making Namine pause as she realized that she had let that slip. Truthfully, she hadn't really given the matter much thought in all that went down recently...

''I'm not really sure...'' The girl admitted. ''...I've just been trying to keep busy. There's really not much to do about that now.''

''Guess that's true. I just thought they would have handled private information about students better than this...'' Sojiro paused. ''...I would have asked how you're doing in school but that seems pretty pointless now.''

''It's not too bad...I've met some nice people and made a friend.'' Namine assured, moved at his concern. ''He thinks that if they don't want to even talk to me because of some rumors then it's their loss.''

''You don't say? That sounds like some friend.'' The barista remarked, thinking that she could use this kind of support.

While he was still getting to know the girl, what he did pick up so far was good in his book. Namine was kind, if somewhat quiet but she was also caring. Some would say a little too much since it might be construed as what lead her to intervene that night but he didn't think that made her a bad kid. She'd gone out of her way to help him around with the cafe more than once and that was definitely appreciated.

As the girl excused herself and left, he couldn't help but think that what he did come to learn meshed with what he heard from Namine's grandparents. The two had been indignant at what they called a fake trial and were adamantly supportive of their granddaughter, relieved that she had done something to stop that drunk.

* * *

Since one of their teachers was absent, class 2-D had been given a free period. Namine took the chance to explore Shujin, wanting to get a feel of the area. This eventually lead her to the rooftop where took a moment to take in the view it offered before something caught her eye.

She took a moment to enjoy the surprising peace of the roof before looking around, noticing what looked like a few pots and boxes full of soil in a corner.

The curious teen approached it, finding a sprout visible through the soil. There were also some flowerpots that were beginning to bloom. So someone took care of plants here? That was definitely unexpected. It seemed recent too, because by the looks of it, the soil was most and the pots looked to be in good shape. Idly, she found herself wondering what kind of plants those were.

''Well, you definitely seem intrigued.'' A new voice said, making the teen start and looked back to find a girl with light brown hair and hazel eyes watching her with a growing smile. ''I'm sorry for startling you. I don't see people stop by to just look everyday.''

''Oh...ah, that's okay. I didn't expect to see this in the first place, so you're the one who planted these?''

''Right, the school lets me take some time between classes to check on them.'' The girl went on to examine the shed, looking satisfied moments later.

''It's nice, what you're doing here.'' Namine remarked. ''I think things like these just remind you to take a moment and enjoy the little things in life.''

''Right?'' The girl looked pleased. ''I couldn't agree more, ah...'' She blinked. ''...I'm sorry, I'm Okumura Haru, it's nice to meet you.''

''Likewise, I'm Hyakuya Namine.''

* * *

It was after she left the rooftop that Namine knew something strange was going on. Some students were gathered around in groups and talking among themselves, the atmosphere seemed terse.

She barely caught a bit of their talk...

''...she wants to kill herself...?''

''Yeah, I heard people say it...no one was sure though...Suzui's got a start up postion in the volley ball. Heck, she's...''

Namine tuned out the rest of the talk, her thoughts halting as she recognized the name. Suzui-san wanted to what?!

Guess or not, she wasn't taking any chances. With that in mind, she hurried back to the roof.

* * *

As she soon found out, the worst suspicions were proven to be true.

Namine arrived in time to find Shiho beginning to climb the fence, her eyes widening as she quickly called out. ''STOP!''

Shiho did, though her expression made it clear that it was because she had never even seen this coming. ''H-Hyakuya-san...''

''Suzui-san, what happened? Why are you...'' Namine frowned, noting how the girl looked so...weary and...defeated, even. Had she truly given up on everything?

''I have to...'' She said, her tone even sounded practically dead. ''...I can't take this anymore...''

''Take what?'' Namine's tone softened as she walked over, Shiho backed away as if out of reflex. This gave the former an idea and she quickly stepped closer to make sure she could stop the girl if she tried to climb up the fence again.

''...I want to die...'' Shiho said at last.

''You don't mean that...you shouldn't-I can help you!'' Namine stated.

* * *

Around the same time...

Both girls were oblivious to the numerous eyes watching them. Students and teachers alike were watching the exchange, though as they were too far, none could be sure of what was going on.

''Why would Suzui do this?''

''You think this is bad? It'll just get worse, she's up there with Hyakuya!'' A student exclaimed. ''She's definitely going to ruin everything, if she doesn't try to hurt Suzui.''

'At least Namine's actually trying to help!' Ryuji wanted to tell the speakers off but he could barely find his voice as they watched. Really, they had some nerve. They had no business treating Namine like this. If they really did care so much, why didn't they try to do anything?

One look at Ann told him why she didn't. She was too shocked to do anything, that was one feeling he could relate to. What the hell happened to Suzui?

''Shiho...'' Ann breathed, hoping Namine would succeed. She prayed with all her heart that her best friend would come out all right.

* * *

''You don't understand!'' Shiho cried. ''There's...there's no helping it...not after yesterday...''

Namine blinked ''Yesterday?'' A thought occurred to her then. If Kamoshida went so far in his abuse against the players...

''...What did he do you to?''

Shiho seemed to understand ''He...K-Kamo...shida...he took me off practice and...and...we went to his office...'' She took a few breaths. ''...I-I thought he...just wanted to talk or something but...he...he raped me!'' Namine stared at her with wide eyes. ''I...I told myself it'd be all right, that I could take it but I was wrong! I want this to end! It has to...it's too much...I want to die!'' She stepped up, only fo find Namine in front of her. . ''Move out of the way...''

The burgundy haired girl shook her head, her expression solemn.

''You have to...just let me die!'' Shiho snapped.

''No.'' She returned evenly.

''I-I'll make you!''

''Go ahead and try. You're not changing my mind.''

''Why?!'' Shiho demanded. ''You don't even know me! It doesn't matter if I live or die, so this is what I choose. The only thing I have is ruined...What do you care?''

Namine watched her evenly ''...He's not worth your life, Suzui-san. Nothing is.'' Shiho froze. ''How do people go along with this in the first place? Something should have been done a long time ago! He's the reason you've been thinking in this messed up way for so long... Just as you want to die, I want to stop you. But if you really want a reason, you were one of the first who actually looked past those ridiculous rumors and talked to me nicely. That's worth more than you'd imagine. It takes a really good person to do it. Of course it matters that you live. There's no way in hell volleyball's all you're good for.''

''Y-you don't know what you're talking about...'' Shiho was distracted as she took in her sad gaze.

''...I don't expect you to believe me right away but it's the truth.'' She stated firmly.

''You don't...you have no idea what this is like!'' Shiho cut in.

''That's true.'' Namine agreed. ''I can't imagine how terrible that must be. But there are ways you can get past this. Not like this though...I know it seems inevitable but think, you still have your family and friends, like Takamaki-san. I bet she's desperately hoping that you don't go through with this. What do you think they're all going to say if you do jump? How do you think they'll feel? Even if you don't think you matter, that's wrong. You do, and especially to them.''

Namine didn't miss how she faltered at the mention of those people, but Shiho was far from calming down. Little did she know that the girl didn't blame her one bit. ''It...it doesn't matter! I'm going to...'' Her breath hitched. ''...Please move or I'll make you! I mean it!''

Namine's gaze remained firm ''Just like I meant it when I said I'll stop you.'' She kept her word even as the hysteric girl tackled her, knocking the two to a wall. Shiho struggled a bit in her hold, with Namine biting her lip to stop from crying out as the latter tried to hit her in her desperation to make her let go. But she refused, she wouldn't fail the girl now.

It was true that she didn't know Shiho well but that wouldn't stop Namine from helping her. The girl had been kind enough to try encouraging her when practically nobody else did. She was a good person and Namine had already made up her mind to help her.

''Why?!'' Shiho mumbled. ''I tried to hold on...I thought things could get better but...but they don't care...no one did...you're not even supposed to, so why?''

''He isn't worth your life.'' Namine repeated ''You're better than that, Suzui-san, you're better than him. I can't explain how yet but we're working on it, we're going to stop Kamoshida.''

Shiho stilled in her hold ''That...that can't be...''

''It can.'' Namine refuted gently. ''Nothing's going to change if people don't take action. Well, we've decided that it's high time someone does something about it. One way or another, we're going to make sure this doesn't happen again. Not all people are the same, Suzui-san. It's okay to ask for help every now and then. You both tried so hard, well, we're going to help you.''

Shiho broke down at this, burying her face in Namine's blazer as she sobbed. She was truly at her limit. Namine placed a hand on the back of her head, wishing she knew someway to make the poor girl feel better. This..this was beyond messed up. How could a teacher...no, anybody be so cruel?

A few minutes later, she was distracted by the sound of footsteps and looked up to find Ryuji, Ann, Kawakami, Ushimaru and Chouno enter the rooftop.

''Shiho!'' The blonde cried, running to the two.

''It's okay, I think she needs to rest.'' Namine remarked as both glanced at the girl in question, who seemed to have blacked out. She must have been beyond exhausted.

Ann almost sagged in relief ''Thank you...I can't thank you enough for this...''

Namine's expression softened ''Glad I could help.''

''...I think it's safe to say you've done more than that, Hyakuya.'' Ushimaru remarked, picking Shiho up.

''That's right, Miss Hyakuya!'' Chouno agreed. ''I'm amazed. You saved Miss Suzui's life!''

''Yeah, that was great!'' Ryuji added.

Namine leaned back against the wall ''...Thank goodness it worked...I was really worried...''

She was unaware of the teachers watching her with clear wonder before their expressions softened. Safe to say, this incident had changed their opinions on the new student.

Ryuji grinned and helped her up ''Way to go, Namine!''

''That was really brave.'' Kawakami praised. ''Come on, I think it's time we get you both out of here.''

* * *

Nurse Akie, a middle aged woman with dark hair and green eyes, hummed as she finished examining Namine ''I think you're going to be just fine. Sore, I'm afraid, but that's fixable.''

Namine didn't respond, not even acknowledging the fact that she did feel sore. Her mind just kept drifting to what she'd just learned.

''...Hyakuya-chan?''

The nurse's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, making her look back. The woman seemed to understand the issue though. ''If this is about Suzui-chan, I would say she's going to be all right thanks to you.'' Namine appeared unconvinced. ''I've been wondering, you haven't said two words ever since you were brought here...Did Suzui-chan tell you why she tried to commit suicide?''

Namine nodded, missing Ann and Kawakami looking at her in surprise. ''She said...during their practice yesterday...Kamoshida...'' She was fine with pretending to treat the man respectfully before, but now? Not a chance. ''...he took her to the office and raped her.''

''What?!''

''W-wait, he wouldn't...!'' Kawakami started.

''I'm telling you what I heard, Sensei.'' Namine pointed out. ''I don't see how it's so hard to believe considering what we're dealing with here.''

''Yes, but...''

''Enough already, Sensei!'' Ann interjected. ''That bastard doesn't deserve any defense. Why the hell would Shiho lie about this? You don't have any right to question this. Hyakuya-chan was the only one who tried to reach out to her! Something you guys should have done! You've heard the talk about the volleyball team, I thought it was just that, rumors, otherwise the teachers would've done something. Now I find out you just let Kamoshida get away with everything!'' She seethed.

''W-we were...'' Kawakami looked taken aback by her anger. She truly didn't want to believe that a teacher would do something so awful but...

''...You can just ask her!'' Ann pointed at the nurse, noticing that the woman's expression had only been grim at Namine's statement. ''You've noticed, right? You just finished patching Shiho up.''

Nurse Akie nodded, seeming troubled ''I couldn't work out why...but she's in bad shape. I honestly don't even know how she came to school today. With all that's going...what Hyakuya-chan just said filled up the blanks for me.''

''Ryuji and I have been looking into the volleyball team's situation. We don't trust Kamoshida, not one bit.'' Namine stated. ''All today did was prove that we were right not to.''

Kawakami's voice broke the ensuing silence ''So this is what you and Sakamoto were up to? Why do you care?''

''Why shouldn't we?'' Namine returned. ''This whole thing's wrong on so many levels. We just couldn't find much of any lead when no one would speak up. Now it turns out the players were convinced no one would help them so they didn't try...The students spread loads of talk about me but I don't care what they say. I'm not going to leave everyone to suffer like this. No one deserves this kind of treatment. That's why I went to stop Suzui-san and I'm only thankful that it worked.''

In a few minutes, Akie left with a newly arrived Chouno to talk to Kobayakawa and Ushimaru was busy helping the other teachers talk to the students.

Ann knew that Nurse Akie had only arrived at the end of the last year, and so she more than likely had no idea about Kamoshida. It said a lot for the woman that she acted after she learned the truth, but the other teachers and students at least suspected this...some people had seen evidence of the abuse...but they all just turned a blind eye. She cursed herself for not recognizing the problem sooner, Shiho wouldn't have gone through it all if she had...

''...Why didn't they ever say anything?'' Kawakami muttered.

''...They were all so convinced that no one was going to help so they clammed up.'' She glared at the women. ''They clearly have good reason to. You picked some time to care! If you had just done your jobs, this could have been avoided!'' The woman looked away, acknowledging the fact.

Namine figured there was more to the situation than she knew so she kept quiet, understanding that Ann needed to let this out.

Her phone beeped, bringing her attention to it as the screen displayed a message from Ryuji. The blond ex-athlete wanted her to meet him near the second floor staircase, whatever the reason, it seemed important.

''...I have to go, Takamaki-san.'' She stood. ''Would you tell me if anything happens? I'd like to make sure she's okay.''

Ann's expression softened ''Sure thing, let's see your number now.'' The girls exchanged contact information before Namine left.

* * *

''This is all your damn fault! Don't say you didn't have a choice!''

''B-but I...''

Ryuji had noticed Mishima acting strangely as the word about Suzui got out and decided to see if he knew something. It had just been a gut feeling so it got him a lot more information than he expected.

For one thing, Mishima had been the last to see Suzui right before she went to Kamoshida. He had been sent to get her, he had been helping the man along. What's worse, it had been him who spread the news about Namine's record at Kamoshida's orders.

They had tried confronting Kamoshida, but he seemed like he couldn't care less. Instead, the man had outed Mishima's role in his schemes before declaring that he would expel the boys and leaving.

The whole thing just wound up raising the already fiery boy's temper and it lead to this...

A third voice broke the argument ''Ryuji?''

The blond and Mishima started, finding a confused Namine watching them. He started bringing the girl up to speed.

''Wait, expel you guys?'' She repeated, bewildered. ''He can't do that, right?''

''Dunno, that's what I said...'' He admitted with a grunt. ''...then it turns out that he got Mishima spreading your record through out the school.'' Aforementioned boy flinched and lowered his head at this. ''He's been so desperate to stay on the team that he pretty much became Kamoshida's gopher!''

''It's not like that!'' Mishima tried to protest that.

''Oh yeah? Then how else is it? You've just been playing along to his demands!''

''...Is this really going to keep up?'' Namine asked, recalling what Mishima said earlier. ''No matter what happens, the school will just protect Kamoshida? Even after this?'' The boys looked at her. ''Suzui-san flat out told me that the reason she wanted to kill herself is because of him.''

Ryuji looked surprised for a moment before his expression darkened while Mishima lowered his head, feeling guilty.

''You just keep saying that it's pointless, Mishima-kun. That attitude is just going to make a bad situation even worse. How much pain and suffering does he have to cause before this school realizes how rotten Kamoshida really is?'' Namine demanded, her tone icy with the anger she'd been holding back earlier.

''See, this is why we're trying to do something about this and we're not giving up.'' Ryuji said firmly.

Ryuji stopped as he saw that the last person he expected to find then had come, clearly looking for them.

''Morgana?''

The cat stood before them ''...I've been thinking about what Namine said. My opinion hasn't changed...I still really want to find the treasure but...I don't want to kill anyone either. I'd hardly be any better than the person we're targeting. That was really callous of me.''

''As long as you see that...'' Namine trailed off. ''...I was actually hoping we could find you.''

''Oh?'' His ears twitched. ''Did you make up your minds then?''

''Yeah...I'm going to the Palace with you.'' The girl stated. ''I can't stand the idea of staying back and doing nothing now...that's no better than what the rest of the school did.''

''Damn straight, the bastard can't get away with all he's done. We've gotta make sure he's stopped.'' Ryuji declared.

The cat smirked ''Then it's time we get to work. We'll become the phantom thieves who will take Kamoshida down.''

* * *

It was just after they entered the Metaverse that the trio encountered a problem. But it wasn't something any of them would have seen coming.

''Wha...what is this?!''

It was Ann. She happened to be nearby as Ryuji activated the meta-nav and so happened to be dragged along with them as a result.

''What the-Takamaki?!''

''Wow...she really is a meow-velous girl...'' Morgana mumbled.

''?'' The girl blinked, stiffening as she took in her fellow students' appearances. ''Wait, Sakamoto? And...Hyakuya-san? What the heck's going on?!''

''That's what we want to know! Why are you here?'' Ryuji demanded.

''I was looking for you two. You guys have some plan to get at Kamoshida, right? I want in!'' Ann declared.

''No way!'' Ryuji spoke before his companions could. ''You can't be here!''

''Why not?!''

''It's too dangerous, Takamaki-san.'' Namine tried to calm them down. ''We're still getting used to this place but you don't even have a way to defend yourself.''

Ann frowned, she wasn't about to be deterred now...

Ryuji, having a good guess of what she had in mind from prior experiences with the girl, proceeded to drag her out ''Look, just go back. We can explain later, but you really shouldn't be here!''

''Wait...!'' She tried to speak but he had already activated the navigator to send her back.

''...You really shouldn't talk to women like that.'' Morgana chided.

''Whatever! You don't know her. She definitely wouldn't have listened.'' Ryuji stated. ''We all know why she can't be here.''

The cat didn't respond but the fact was, the ex-athlete was right. Not only did Ann lack a persona and soul armor, she was likely to be affected by the distortions of the palace since she was a key component in Kamoshida's heart. This really was the safest way for her.

''...Let's go.''

* * *

''Code names?'' At Morgana's behest, the three were trying to find a key for a locked door the cat had found beforehand.

''Yup.'' Morgana spoke up as his companions looked at him curiously. ''It's true that our target doesn't realize our actions here but we shouldn't take the chance. That's why I think we should use code names from here on.''

''Hey, sounds cool!'' Ryuji exclaimed. ''Then...I'll be Skull.''

''I see it didn't take you very long to think of that.'' Morgana said, looking at his mask pointedly.

''Shut up, I like it!'' The blond insisted. ''As for you...well, I did kind of use it before so how about Mona?''

''Hmm...I guess...''

''It's cute,'' Namine half-smiled.

''Well then, it's fine with me.'' The newly named Mona shrugged. ''Any preferences, Namine?''

''Not really...'' The girl looked pensive. ''...that aside for now, where do we start, Mona?''

''Glad you asked! First things first, we need to map out the castle.'' Mona replied. ''Once we have a good feel of the area, we can find the treasure room. We'll also have to secure an escape route in case things go really bad.''

He stopped walking, noticing some shadows forming in the corridor before them. ''...I'll explain more as we go on. For now, let's focus on this.''

As the battle almost ended, the enemies were joined by another shadow, this one in the form of a girl in a blue outfit and bluish white fairy wings. Morgana identified it as a Pixie, tensing as he expected it to attack.

''Oh, so you're the intruders?'' Pixie spoke with disdain. ''Put those weapons away already, I'm not stupid enough to think I can beat you all now, especially seeing what you've done. Talk about annoying, why do I have to deal with this...''

''Looks like one nasty personality there...'' Skull trailed off. ''...you really think we're just going to let you off?''

''But I'm a slave too! Kamoshida-sama treats me horribly!'' Pixie exclaimed.

''Yeah? Well, I bet it's nothing like what those guys down in the cells get.''

''That's not the point! What do you want anyway?''

''We're looking for the key to that door.'' Namine looked pointedly at the object in question.

''Oh that? Well here, then...'' She tossed the item to her.

''Thanks.''

Pixie blinked, before she began to look flustered ''W-what's with that? You're throwing me off...not that I mind. This is a first though...'' She blinked, a white light began to surround her.

''That's right, I remember now...I don't belong to Kamoshida-sama at all. I drifted here from the sea of souls, because of his strong desires...and they made me like this.'' Pixie paused, her eyes fell on Namine then. ''Ah, I see...so what I heard was true. I'll be with you from now on.''

Before anyone could make sense of that statement, she vanished within a burst of fire. A mask floated where she stood before it flew at Namine, who instinctively tried to cover her face as the mask flew and seemingly faded into the one she currently wore.

''What's going on?!'' Skull wondered.

''I don't know!'' Morgana looked flabbergasted. ''I've never heard of something like this before...''

The girl in question was just as bewildered, more so when she heard Pixie begin to giggle.

'Ah, I see you really don't know?' She mused. 'I guess that's no surprise, I never thought I'd see someone like you after all.'

Namine idly noted how talking to her felt somewhat like it did with Arsene 'Someone like me?'

'Yes, you're a Wild Card, child. What happened is that I chose to give you my power. I think your presence purified the Palace's taint on me. I never imagined it could happen with the distortions.' Pixie informed. 'And before you ask, Wild Cards are vessels chosen to bear mystical powers. The name is because their very nature is unpredictable. You can wield the power of spirits despite already being a Persona user.'

''Hey Namine, you okay?'' Skull inquired.

''Y-yeah, the thing is...'' She quickly relayed Pixie's words, leaving them stunned.

''So you can use the power of spirits and make them your own? That's incredible!'' Mona exclaimed.

''Awesome!'' Skull, for once, was in complete agreement.

''You really are impressive, Namine! This'll give our team a huge boost!'' Mona added.

The girl smiled in return ''Glad to hear it, come on, let's move.''

* * *

The formerly locked door had taken them to a hall where they found a map, which showed that they were close to the second tower of the palace. The three went in the direction of the plaza and made for the new tower...

''I got it! What do you think of Joker for your code name?'' Mona asked.

''Joker?'' Namine echoed, suddenly understanding. ''Ah, I guess that does work...''

''Oh yeah?'' Skull cocked his head.

''Don't you know? A joker is a wild card in games, the one card no one can expect.'' Mona stated.

''Oh, gotcha!''

''Joker it is then.'' Their female companion acknowledged. ''Mona, any idea where we go from here?''

''No...but the treasure would be where the distortion is strongest.''

Skull frowned a bit ''You know, you keep talking about this distortion but you never say much about it.''

''I've been meaning to ask...'' Joker spoke before Mona could reply. ''...Pixie mentioned something about the Palace tainting her. Is that related?''

Mona's lips twitched ''As expected of you, Joker! That's right, the taint and the distortions are in fact connected, they all stem from Kamoshida's wicked desires. Those desires are so strong that they attracted many shadows here. I expect that this is why many of them serve that shadow.''

''Then if we beat that bastard fake king back, this'll all end, right?'' Skull clarified as they made their way through the plaza.

''Exactly. The way I see it, we'll have to make sure to defeat him and stop there. Things should proceed as we want if we can weaken and return him to his true self...'' Mona suddenly stopped.

''What's up?'' Skull blinked as the cat shushed him and headed to a wall, motioning them to follow.

The three came to find a pair of shadow knights coming from the second tower talking to each other.

'It sure was a surprise to find the princess there...'

'No kidding, she never left the palace before. I wonder why she was outside. At least we got her back before the intruders found her...'

'Agreed, I don't want to think of the king's reaction if we hadn't...Anyway, let's keep our guard up.' The shadows walked away.

''You didn't have to do that, Mona. We could have beat them.'' Skull remarked.

The cat rolled his eyes ''Not the point! We can't fight every single shadow we find, besides, we need to find useful info.''

''How's that useful? There aren't any princesses here!''

Joker had a thought ''...Mona, you think...''

''Afraid so.'' The cat admitted, knowing she caught on. ''That's the only explanation I can see...she must have found a way back.''

''Found a...'' Skull blinked. ''...wait, you mean Takamaki?! But there's no way!''

''I wouldn't be too sure. Joker doesn't know how she got the navigator but you have it now. There's a chance she found it too.''

He swore ''We gotta save her!''

With that said, the three hurried to the second tower, in the hopes that they would make it in time.

* * *

The trio battled and defeated more shadows along, during which Namine was able to acquire a Jack-o-Lantern spirit with her newfound power. Speaking of, said power turned out to be just as useful as they imagined with her able to switch between personas and use them accordingly. Between Arsene, Pixie and Jack-o-Lantern, there were a good number of abilities to choose from.

''Not only did I meet two persona users in a week but we also came across this, this is brilliant.'' Mona chirped.

''True, but man those shadows sure do get messed up, huh? Most of them are so loyal to that asshole Kamoshida that it makes me sick.'' Skull's tone showed aforementioned disgust.

''It just goes to show you how strong humans desires can really be.''

''Even if the guy's rotten to the core?''

''Yup, that actually makes it all worse.'' The cat affirmed. ''It causes all that much more corruption...''

Mona paused after a moment, frowning at a door to their far right. ''...Watch yourselves. The distortions I sense here are strong.''

''All right, let's see what this is about...'' Skull pushed the door open.

Later on, the trio would come to agree that they wished they hadn't seen what was inside.

''W-what the?!''

It was a large, almost plain room. The disturbing part was the barely clothed, bare-chested girls who were near the walls. All were clearly drained as they went on moaning but lay in provocative positions.

Mona grimaced as he spoke ''...This guy's even worse than I imagined.''

''Dammit, I thought those prisoners were bad enough...How messed up can that asshole be?'' Skull growled.

Joker was too sickened to say anything. She could tell how bad their target could be after what happened earlier but nothing could have prepared her for this...

''Ah, look!''

Shadow Kamoshida was at the far end of the room with four knight shadows, facing the real Ann, who was tied to an x-shaped post. It looked like they hadn't noticed the new arrivals yet.

''What is this?! What's going on?!'' She demanded.

Shadow Kamoshida tuned her out ''I can't believe you mixed up my princess for her. They're worlds apart.''

'My apologies.' One of the shadows bowed.

''Don't ignore me, what're you playing?!'' Ann went on. ''Why're you doing all this?''

''Because I want to, of course. This is my palace, my word rules all. Everyone obeys me.'' The evil king returned. ''Now I think I better I show you how to respect your betters...''

''Get 'em, Captain!''

The two started at the battle cry and before they knew it, Captain Kidd floated up, unleashing a blast of lightning from his cannon that took down one of the knights. Shadow Kamoshida growled as he turned

''You again?!''

''Let her go!'' Mona demanded.

''Why should I?'' The evil king leered. ''I was just about to teach her a lesson actually. Although...'' His eyes fell on Joker as he continued. ''...I could always do with another way to have fun.''

The girl glared back, refusing to show how disgusted the statement left her. Skull and Mona stepped closer to her as they glowered at him...

''Wow...'' A new, vaguely familiar voice giggled. ''...you're such a perve!''

Ann's eyes opened wide as she took in the sight of what appeared to be her double walking up to Shadow Kamoshida from the bed. ''What?! What is this?!''

''Ah, my princess...'' The shadow purred, making her beam back. ''...I was just about to show those peasants my power. Can you imagine they dare to defy me?''

Fake Ann gasped ''Are you for real? That's like, unforgivable!''

''Isn't it?'' He agreed, nodding sagely. ''And to think, those girls have the nerve to talk back and refuse me...''

''That's practically even worse. Can't they see how lucky they are to receive your attention?''

''That's just it...''

''Lucky?'' Joker's voice cut in. Her tone was icy, which as her teammates were getting to learn, proved that she was furious. ''Get over yourself! How does any of this...'' She gestured to the room at large. ''...make us lucky? You're a monster.''

''Yeah, you don't treat people like this!'' Mona exclaimed, looking aggravated.

''Is this some kind of joke?'' A shocked Ann muttered, keeping her eyes on her fake self. What was going on here? What was that?

''What's wrong with that? I'm only getting what I deserve.'' Shadow Kamoshida stated.

''Not yet, you haven't.'' Skull corrected. ''You deserve nothing short of an a beat down. We're going to make you pay for all you've done!'

The shadow's face twisted in anger ''We'll see about that! Attack!''

The knights moved at his command, Mona summoned Zorro at once, throwing one off with a Garu. Joker summoned Jack-o-Lantern, having it cast an Agi that gained power from the conjured wind, damaging the enemy nearby.

''Nice work, Captain Kidd!'' Skull had the persona tackle the two shadows to knock them down before he and Mona defeated them with a few more attacks.

Meanwhile, Joker had used the chaos of the fight to dart between them and get behind the third enemy. Her companions assumed that she had meant to follow another of Mona's lessons from earlier on how to ambush shadows to weaken them, which was partly true. Instead of ripping the mask like what Mona taught them, Joker stabbed the shadow from the side as it began to turn. The stunned enemy tried to get at her but she swiftly dodged and retaliated by calling on Pixie to blast it with lightning. A pair of swift strikes from her blade served to defeat the knight shadow.

''Now that what I'm talking about!'' Skull exclaimed while Mona smirked.

Their enemy glowered back, quickly summoning more shadows. ''You're not going to win!''

''You really are fools.'' Fake Ann stated, giggling. ''King Kamoshida's the best, no one can beat him.''

''What's with her?'' Skull couldn't help but ask.

''It's just like with the players.'' Mona offered. ''She's acting according to Kamoshida's cognition. That's what the shadow believes her to be.''

Ann decided to shove all her questions aside in favor of this one ''You mean that's what he wants me to be like?''

''From the looks of it, yes.'' There was more to it than that, but it wasn't the time to explain. Either way, Mona was sure that he was right too. The real Kamoshida more than likely wanted her to be so obedient.

''Well, while I did need some toys for an outlet, nothing compares to my princess.'' Shadow Kamoshida stated. ''Those girls are nothing...just like the one who wanted to kill herself. I forgot her name...''

Ann froze ''What?''

''Ah, yeah, your little friend?'' The shadow glanced back at her. ''What happened to her is your fault, you know. If you had just listened when you were told, I wouldn't have had to...play with her. It was kind of satisfying though...''

''Why that lousy, stinking...'' Skull grit his teeth. ''...so what he did to Suzui...'' Joker's expression darkened as she glanced at the girls nearby, something he picked up on. ''...that bastard!''

''So Shiho went through all this pain...because of me?'' Ann whispered.

''That's right...'' Her fake self smiled, her tone airy. ''...if you had just been a good girl, none of it would've happened. She held up against the king to protect you and look what you did.''

''I couldn't have said it better, princess.'' Shadow Kamoshida smirked as he walked over to Ann, who lowered her head.

''Shiho...I'm so sorry...''

''Now there's no point in that kind of talk, is there?'' He remarked, one hand beginning to remove her clothes. ''I say it's about time you take responsibility.''

What he planned to do was awfully clear. Skull growled ''Stop!''

''We've gotta move!'' Mona raised his scimitar.

''Takamaki-san!'' Joker called. ''Are you really going to take this lying down? Please listen to me, it's Kamoshida's fault. You can see what he's really like now, he doesn't care how many people he hurts as long as he gets his way. Don't listen to him. You might have thought we were wrong to fight back but it's not like you've rolled over and given up either so don't start now!''

''...Right...'' Ann spoke after a few moments. ''...you're right...I was the one in the wrong the whole time. I just pretended that there wasn't much to be done but I never should've done that...I'm not going to let him win!''

'My, it's been far too long...' The girl's eyes widened as the feminine voice resounded in her head, making her bend over with pain. '...Words can only do so much before they lose their power and the time for action comes. So you finally understand how useless passivity is...'

''You already know the truth...Carmen...'' Ann breathed.

The voice laughed 'Indeed! You were never one to take things lying down. You just lacked the means to strike back. Come now, it's time we show this sickening man your true power!'

The blonde cried out as the pain doubled, soon she was surrounded in an azure blaze that destroyed the post...

''Again?!'' Shadow Kamoshida cried out.

''A Persona...'' Mona realized. A crimson cat mask appeared on Ann's face, which she quickly removed and soon the blaze engulfed her.

Standing behind Ann was a woman clad in a red and black dress, her black hair wound up in curly pig tails. She had a black mask that was similar to Ann's and a cigar in her mouth. She held a slave on a leash while stepping on another one.

Ann was now wearing a red cat suit with pink gloves, staring Shadow Kamoshida down. She raised a hand, a second later, her fake self was destroyed in a burst of flames.

''I'm not some brainless toy for you to flaunt around, you scum bag!'' She declared. ''You stole everything from Shiho...you destroyed her. I will rob you of everything! Now, Carmen!''

'As you wish.' The persona smirked, sending out blasts of fire that damaged all the shadows in the area.

''That was amazing!'' Mona praised as they joined the girl.

''No kidding, now let's do this!'' Skull exclaimed.

Shadow Kamoshida grimaced, eyeing them warily ''W-what're you waiting for? Go!''

Once again, the shadows went at the order, gearing up to attack as they surrounded the group.

''Hah, you really never learn!'' Mona ducked from an attack and knocked the enemy before him down. Skull bashed one with his pipe twice, only for Carmen's flames to destroy it.

''Pixie!'' Joker called, the fairy flew up, unleashing a round of lightning at all the nearby enemies. It left them stunned and vulnerable from the next round of attacks from Skull and Captain Kidd, which took them out.

''Carmen!'' Ann cried, the dancer waved a hand, sending out more flames to defeat the enemies.

Soon they had wrapped up the fight, but Shadow Kamoshida was no where to be seen.

Ann scowled ''So he ran away! I'm...''

''Hold on,'' she blinked and looked at Joker. ''We don't know where he could be right now, this isn't the time. How are you feeling? Awakening a persona is exhausting.''

''...Now that you mention it...'' Since she had stopped, Ann only just realized how tired she was.

''Come on, Takamaki. We want to get at the bastard but it can wait, you wanna know what's going on, right?'' Skull inquired.

''...Yeah, let's go...''

* * *

''Wow, that's...'' The group of four was now in a train station. With Ann looking stunned.

''I know it's a lot to take in, Lady Ann but it's all true.'' Morgana said.

''I'm not denying it. Just...whoa, I never even imagined something like this was possible...''

''Well, that's what we're going to use to stop Kamoshida. If we stop him there, the real one's going to come clean.'' Ryuji stated.

''I want in.'' The girl declared. ''I want to help. I can't stand not doing anything after all that went down.''

''Well then, you're welcome to join us, Lady Ann!'' Morgana enthused.

''Lady Ann?'' She echoed, looking curious. ''...I want to help stop him...I know it can't make up for what happened but...''

''Hey, let's not bringing ourselves down here.'' Namine interjected. ''It's okay, you'll be making sure he won't cause anymore damage. Sound good?''

Ann smiled ''Yeah...''

 _I am_ ** _thou_** _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ ** _new_** _vow._

 _It shall_ ** _become_** _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ ** _breaketh_** _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Lovers Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ ** _freedom_** _and a new power._

* * *

 _And that's that!_

 _This one's a little longer than usual but I really didn't feel like breaking it into two chapters. I procrastinated a little because there were some parts I'm not so sure about. I know that I can't please everybody but I hope this turned out all right._

 _Notes:_

 _-I've honestly been a bit lost on how to handle the situation with Shiho for a bit so I kind of wound up just sticking with this in the end. Guess I just couldn't bring myself to repeat what happens in canon._

 _-Well, like I said, I didn't play the game so sorry if I missed some details and if the fights are lackluster. As much as I liked the game, I don't really want to just flat out get everything done the same way. I mean come on, what would be the point of writing this if I can't get a little creative?_

 _From here on out, the focus will come to taking Kamoshida down. As nice as it might be to have them beat down his shadow quickly, I know that won't work so I won't rush things. Of course that doesn't mean I'll be putting excessive stuff here and there either, you'll see soon enough._

 _Feedback will be appreciated and I hope you like the story._


	5. Chapter 5

''So how come you wound up coming with us anyway?''

Morgana huffed at Ryuji's question ''What's wrong with that? It's easier this way. We need to start planning seriously and break through the palace after all.''

The group of four was just on their way to the train station after leaving the palace, having saved Ann and watched her awaken Carmen, she was now a fully fledged member of the party.

''So you stayed in the metaverse before? What about now?'' Ann asked.

''Well, it'd have to be with one of you.''

''I'd be no good then.'' The girl stated, missing his disappointment at this. ''I'm out of the house a lot anyway and I don't think my guardian's going to agree.''

''I can't have you in my place, way too much trouble.'' Ryuji remarked.

''You guys would cause even more trouble fighting then too.'' Namine said dryly.

''Well, he's a pain.''

''He's an immature brat.'' The two said in tandem, glaring at each other.

''Point made.'' Ann deadpanned while Namine shook her head. ''Anyway, that leaves you, Namine. How about it?''

''I don't mind but I'm not the one who gets to decide...''

* * *

Sojiro frowned ''Why'd you bring a cat here? You do remember this is a cafe?''

''Yeah, sorry but it followed me.'' Namine admitted. ''I'd feel bad kicking it out now. I'll look after it though, I'll try to make sure there's no trouble with buisness.''

He exhaled, thinking it over. Well from what he'd seen so far there was no reason to take her word for it. That didn't mean he wouldn't be strict though.

''Well, I guess that's fine...at least having a pet would remind you to be responsible. Make sure you follow through on that word.''

''Right, thank you.''

With that, the two headed upstairs. Morgana jumped out of the bag and looked around the attic.

* * *

''Well, this is...not so bad, I guess.''

Namine gave a little laugh, knowing he was being polite ''Sorry, but you're stuck around these parts for now. I'm working on fixing it up.''

The cat tilted his head ''So how come you're here anyway?''

She stood ''It's kind of a long story, how about I get us a little dinner first?''

''Somehow I have a hard time visualizing you as a criminal.'' Morgana said when she filled him in. The girl gave him a grateful look, watching lay down on the couch ''That must have been some real big shot to pull this scam off. You don't even know the guy's name?''

''No, apparently he insisted on anonymity.''

''Figures, what a slimeball.''

''I couldn't agree more...'' The two sat in silence for a bit before Morgana glanced at the chocolate bar in Namine's hand.

''Can I have some, Namine?''

The girl blinked, glancing at the bar as if she just remembered it was there. She broke off a chunk and handed it over, eliciting a happy thanks from her new companion.

''So good!'' He beamed moments later. ''Say, how come you stay here and not in the Boss' house?''

''That's...'' Namine paused. ''...you know, I never thought of that before. I just figured it was a done deal...''

Both were distracted by the sound of footsteps, noticing Sojiro entering then. ''What, you already got dinner sorted? Good, I was bringing up some milk but that's good...so hey, what's the cat's name anyway?''

''Morgana.''

He raised an eye ''That's a girl's name. Didn't you say it was a boy?''

''Yeah, but it was the name we found on the collar. Besides, he seemed pretty good about answering to that one.''

''Fair enough. Well, I'll be closing up now so see you tomorrow.'' Sojiro began walking down.

''Good night.'' Namine called after him. ''...You think he's a cat person?''

''After this? Almost definitely.'' was Morgana's response. ''Now with this settled, starting tomorrow, we'll be working on getting the treasure. Once the distorion's gone, I'll be closer to getting my real form back!''

''Just another reason to succeed, I say let's do it.'' Namine declared.

''Yeah!''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Magician Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power._

* * *

''Huh, so you've been reading up about our personas?'' Morgana looked curious, peeking at the book in question.

''Well, they're all based off famous historical figures, right? It sounded interesting. I already read the one about Arsene before but I found one about Carmen and another about Zorro. It makes for a nice way to spend the train ride.'' Namine remarked, glancing at her bag then.

She had been troubled at the cat's insistence to come with her to school but he had been adamant. ''Are you sure about this?''

''Yeah, I told you, it's just fine.'' The cat stated. ''So what does the book about Zorro say?''

''I haven't really gotten started yet but from what I've heard he's the gallant rogue who stood up to corrupt rich people and helped the poor.''

''Ooh, that sounds very fitting!'' Morgana chirped. ''That's just what I want to be like, a pursuer of justice who abides no evil!''

Namine smiled ''Sounds like a fine goal.''

The girl briefly thought on her visit to the velvet room last night, though when she tried to ask, Morgana didn't seem to know a thing about it. The cat seemed to take it as a strange dream caused by the recent events and she really couldn't blame him. Not when she didn't know what to make of that place.

Igor was as vague as ever, but he was pleased that she was making progress and went on to advise her to keep the pace and continue making bonds. He had mentioned something about giving her a gift that was sure to help in the palace but nothing much about it. Other than that it was a new way to help guide her. Namine supposed she'd have to figure that out when the time came.

''Oh, Lady Ann!''

Morgana's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, noticing the blonde near the school gate. ''Morning, you guys...'' Ann blinked. ''...wait, you brought Morgana here?''

''He was really stubborn about it. This time I'm just going with the path of least resistance.'' was all Namine had to say to that.

''Okay...but try to keep quiet, Morgana.''

''Don't worry, Lady Ann, I will.''

''We've already agreed on that. He's pretty good at being discreet, Takamaki-san.'' Namine remarked.

''You're still talking like that?'' Ann half-smiled. ''It's Ann to you. I don't meet anyone like you everyday. We can just ditch the formalities. We're friends, right?'' She winked.

Namine smiled ''Yeah, right back at you then.''

* * *

The three found Ryuji minutes later, the teen greeting them enthusiastically as he walked up to join them.

''Hey, I can't wait to get to the palace!''

''Keep it down! You want everyone to hear this?'' Morgana asked.

''Oh just ease up, it's fine, who's even looking at us?'' Ryuji demanded.

''That's exactly what I'm talking about, look around you.''

''?'' Ryuji blinked, noticing that they were indeed being watched by quite a number of students and in some cases, even teachers. It took him a few moments to realize that most of the attention was directed at Namine.

The girl seemed plenty aware of it, though. Judging by her uncomfortable expression and Ann's clearly annoyed one, this had been going for a little while at least. She gave Ryuji a look ''Took you long enough.''

If one listened close enough, they could hear muttering here and there. The gist of it proved that the whole school knew about the rooftop incident and were now aware that Namine had in fact saved Shiho.

A few seemed to be skeptic, citing Namine's record and some apparent new rumor. The majority though were apparently affected, since Namine hadn't done anything to hurt anyone and she had also helped stand up for Mishima. Surpisingly, they seemed aware that the boy had spread her record around but not that Kamoshida had made him do it.

''Idiots...'' Ryuji scowled.

Ann squeezed Namine's shoulder comfortingly ''Hey, don't worry about them. We know the truth, that's what counts.''

'You know why you stepped in and you had the right reasons, that's all that matters.' Arsene stated.

'Agreed. If these imbeciles won't bother trying to understand, feel free to ignore them.' Carmen added.

''Yeah, you did real good, Namine.'' Morgana, who had heard about the incident by now, chipped in. ''If that's the way they want to be, they're not worth your time.''

''Thanks...'' Namine trailed off. Their support meant more than she could say. She was more than fine as long as her friends were here.

''That's enough of that!'' Ushimaru called from the top of the stairs, giving the observers a pointed glare. ''Get to your classes, now!''

Ryuji was glad to see him for once ''Hey, what's going on Sensei? How'd this start?''

''That's what I want to know.'' He admitted. ''It threw us for a loop too.''

''This is totally unfair! Namine saved Shiho, how can they still badmouth her?'' Ann wondered.

''I know, Takamaki, but forcing our opinion on them isn't right.'' The teacher pointed out.

''There's no point worrying about this now.'' Namine said, to his surprise. ''It's just like you guys said. We know the truth. I'm not here to get win a popularity contest so I don't really care what they think of me right now. Let's just take things nice and easy.''

Ushimaru looked at her with approval ''I couldn't agree more. There's likely more to this so try to keep it down until we figure this out, all right?''

The three students nodded back and headed off, with Ryuji leaving half way to head to his class.

* * *

The day passed without much event. Namine easily answered one of the history questions, to the students' surprise, though one of them brought up the new rumors about her.

''This again?'' Ann frowned as the three gathered near Namine's desk at the start of lunch.

''You want to bet Kamoshida has something to do with this slander?'' Morgana whispered.

''Sucker bet.'' Ann said at once. ''We've got to make him pay for all he's done. When do we go back to the palace?''

''Tomorrow.'' Namine answered. ''We'll just start getting supplies today and head off right after school.''

* * *

Ryuji promised to handle getting model guns for him and Ann, since Namine had her own and Morgana used his slingshot. Ann volunteered to help with supplies which left Namine and Morgana to see about medicine.

Namine glanced at the plastic bag in her hands, which held some band-aids ''I know the metaverse makes what we believe real but I wonder how useful thinking like that would be with those...''

''Thinking like that is no good, remember?'' Morgana piped up. ''You've got to keep in mind that they'd be the best help in a situation.''

''Right, right...''

The cat looked around ''So why are we here?''

''There's something I've been wanting to check.'' Namine said as she entered a building and went upstairs. She paused at a door that apparently lead to a Takemi Tae's clinic.

A woman with dark blue hair and grey eyes raised an eye as Namine stepped in ''Welcome...'' she blinked. ''...wait, have we met before?''

''No, Takemi-san but I've seen you in Leblanc.''

''Ah, right...you're the kid who's staying in the attic.'' She acknowledged, gesturing for her to take a seat. ''Well, what did you want?''

''I was hoping you could help me.'' Namine paused. ''I've been feeling kind of sore and...well, someone attacked me a few days before I came to the city and I thought I'd ask if you had anything that could help.''

Takemi looked pensive ''All right, two things, first elaborate. And second, I'm going to have to examine you before I pick the best medicine.''

''Okay...the thing is...''

Takemi took the details with an unreadable face, frowning after a few minutes. ''So...to see if I understand, the cop who dragged you to the station that day was convinced you were a liar. He wanted to force you to say their version of the story and when you wouldn't go for it, he hit you?''

Namine nodded. She had been worried about having to explain her situation but the doctor seemed to take it well enough.

Morgana suppressed a growl. Some police that was! How dare they?

''I'm pretty sure that violates some kind of law. Did he just get away with it?''

''One doctor came but no one really listened when I tried to explain.'' Namine admitted. ''I'm not really sure what happened on their end because before I knew it, soon everything was sent and they sent me here.''

''...Right, that's it. Lie down now, I'll start the examination.'' She stated firmly. From the looks of things, Takemi was expecting to find enough trouble to go around with.

There was silence around as the doctor got to work, with her ending it once she finished examining Namine.

''All right, you're healing well enough but I have something that can improve that.'' Takemi dug in a drawer, picking up a couple of medicine bottles. ''You're underweight though...and somehow I can't see this being because of a diet.''

Namine smiled awkwardly. She didn't really feel comfortable explaining that particular issue now ''Um, no, it isn't...A lot's happened...''

''Clearly. Well, lucky for you, I might have something to help that too...'' She went to a cabinet and searched for a bit before taking a box out. ''...this should do. One pill every twelve hours, needless to say, this won't be nearly as effective without eating healthy.''

''Right, I'm working on it.'' Namine took the offered items. ''Thanks, Takemi-sensei.''

She shrugged ''It's about time someone took care of this. Come again when you need some more.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Death Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power._

* * *

Time almost seemed to fly by for the quartet and the next day soon came and with it, the time to head to the Palace.

Namine and Morgana were waiting for Ryuji and Ann near Shujin. The latter couldn't help but think about what happened in the clinic ''Hey, about yesterday...''

The girl blinked ''?''

''What that doctor said...'' Morgana clarified. ''...are you sure you're okay?''

''It's all right.'' Namine leaned against the wall. ''She was talking about something that happened a while back...in a way, I still have to deal with some repercussions, that's all. Don't worry, it's a bit of a long story so I'll tell you later.''

''Well, I'll hold you to that...''

''Hey, guys!'' Ryuji walked over, soon followed by Ann. ''You won't believe how good those gun models are, got a pretty good deal here.''

''Really? You were the one who was complaining about the guy's prices before.'' Ann recalled, making him cringe.

''Didn't you even try to bargain with the owner?'' Morgana inquired.

''Easy for you to talk, you didn't see the guy! He'd never listen to me...'' He grumbled. ''...anyway, it'll all be worth it in the end.''

''All right then, let's go.'' Namine took out her phone.

* * *

''This is going to take some getting used to...'' Ann trailed off, staring at the looming building. ''...wait, my clothes changed again?''

''I think that's here to stay, Lady Ann. The armor's connected to your persona.'' Morgana stated.

''Oh, great...did it have to be something like this?'' She grumbled, feeling awkward because of the outfit. ''Namine's got all the luck here, hers looks great...''

''Ah, don't make it a big deal out of it, you look fine.'' Ryuji rolled his eyes. ''Anyway, shouldn't we be getting her a codename too?''

Morgana blinked ''Ah, right I almost forgot...''

''Codename?'' Ann echoed.

''It's a precaution.'' Namine started. ''According to Morgana, our personas help ensure our actions won't be recognized by Kamoshida in the real world. But we shouldn't just rely on that, we're breaking in after all, no need using our real names now. I'm Joker, Ryuji chose Skull, and Morgana's Mona.''

''Yup, it's a staple for phantom thieves too, why miss it?'' The cat added, noting the curious looks coming his way, he added. ''Well, I think that's what we are. We're taking the treasure, teaching Kamoshida a lesson and helping people. Definitely not your regular band of thieves, huh?''

''Heh, true,'' Ryuji grinned.

Ann looked amused ''Well then...'' She started thinking of a name as the four made their way into the palace.

''Oh here's one, Sexy Cat!'' Ryuji suggested.

''As if!'' Ann said at once. ''I don't want any name like that.''

''I don't think I can take anyone with kind of name seriously.'' Namine admitted

''Agreed.'' Morgana deadpanned.

''Same here. Well, I'm not going for any kind of cute cat. Mona's got that covered, so I'll be Panther.'' Ann decided.

''All right, so...'' The group paused, seeing familiar pools of black and red gather in their way. ''...let's get to work, guys!''

They were face to face with two Jack-o-Lanterns, a Bicorn and a Silky. Mona's eyes narrowed ''Panther, the Jack-o-Lanterns are fire elements. Leave them to me and Joker, help Skull with the other two.''

''Got it! Carmen!''

''Let's go, Captain Kidd!''

The crimson dancer and pirate appeared, charging with their users at Silky and Bicorn. Skull and Panther proceeded to stun them with a round of Zio and Agi spells before going for physical attacks. Panther restrained the Bicorn before it could attack with her whip, leaving it open to Carmen's next Agi and Captain Kidd's Headbutt.

''Not bad at all.'' Skull praised.

Panther returned his smirk ''There's more where that came from.''

''Same here!'' He punctuated the statement with another strike at Silky, throwing it down.

Mona and Joker were doing simliarly well on their end. Zorro's wind magic weakening the enemies, the two were able to strike hard and fast. Joker destroyed one with a few slashes from her dagger while Mona knocked one down with his slingshot into a hold up and forced it to drop its money.

''Now that's what I'm talking about!'' The cat grinned once the battle was over.

''You had time to steal from it?'' Skull asked, surprised.

''Don't forget who you're talking to, I'm the one teaching you all the ropes here.'' Mona said smugly.

Panther had a thought ''Wait, is that where all that money for the guns came from?''

''Parts of it were from some treasure chests but yeah, pretty much. Anyway, let's move.''

* * *

Unlike their last visits, this one was relatively uneventful. The problem here instead seemed to be the sudden increase in the number of shadows. Even when the four tried to avoid getting into too many fights, they still found an abundant number in the wait.

''What gives?'' Skull said irritably. ''It wasn't like this before!''

''No...'' Mona looked pensive. ''...I think it's because of the palace's security level. That depends on Kamoshida's cognition too. He's acknowledged that we're a threat to the palace and called on more shadows.''

''So what, there's no way around it?''

The cat shook his head ''It might be even worse for us. You guys see Kamoshida regularly in school, with the way things are, he's probably worked up and tense. That has an effect on his shadow too.''

''It means we'll just have to keep going, and avoid any unnecessary fights. Just like we've been doing right now.'' Joker remarked. ''You all right, Panther?''

The girl nodded ''About as tired as you guys, but I'll be fine. I'm good to go.''

''Well...''

The three looked confused at Joker's pause, Skull cocked his head ''What's up?''

The girl was looking at the map ''Say, Mona how come this place seems so...vague on the map?''

''I think that might be a safe room. Come on, you'll see...'' They went to a corner, where a door lay. It was easy to miss, and they might have skipped it had it not been for the map.

Mona opened the door and they walked in, pausing in surprise to see it a classroom appear for a few moments before it faded into a room with a number of chairs, a desk and a couch.

''Like I was saying, this is a safe room. It's a place that's more or less free from the palace ruler's influence. I think that might be why it wasn't too clear on the map. We can rest easy here.''

''Oh, so the shadow's aware of all the palace but since this is a clear area, the influence is also pretty weak. But why did it look like a classroom?'' asked Joker.

Mona sat down ''Remember this is a cognitive version of the school, so it stands to reason that the safe room would be where Kamoshida has the least influence.''

''Ah, I get it. He's a P.E teacher so of course that wouldn't matter much around here.'' Panther nodded.

''We've only got a bit of this tower to fill on the map, should we go the whole way?'' Skull asked after a few minutes.

''I think that might be for the best. Ladies?'' Mona prompted.

''Let's go for it, we can start on the other tower next time.'' Panther stated, earning a nod from Joker.

* * *

Panther frowned ''This is a dead end no matter how you look at it!''

They now stood at a wall that seemed to be blocking their best way to proceed to a tunnel that should get them to the second tower.

''Yeah...'' Mona looked up at the wall. ''...From what I remember when we looked through I might be able to get up there but there's no way I can help any of you do it.''

''It'd be too dangerous anyway, with all the enemies we've seen. There's definitely some on the other side.'' Joker pointed out.

''That too.'' The cat acknowledged. The four began to look around the area, thinking there might be something they missed before.

It was then that Joker noticed something odd nearby. For a moment her vision darkened but then she felt something tugging at her mind, almost drawing her to the far left side of the wall. While there didn't seem to be anything there, closer inspection revealed a brick stuck out more than the others. Joker pushed it in, a moment later, a part of the wall nearby was elevated, revealing an entrance.

''Hey, all right!'' Panther smiled.

''Good going, Joker! How'd you do that?'' Mona asked.

''Um, lucky shot? I guess...'' She offered. Truthfully, the girl had no idea just what that was about. Even through all the strange things they'd seen lately, that was a first. It felt as if her senses really sharpened just now...

Wait, didn't Igor say something about his gift guiding her? Could it be that...?

Knowing she wouldn't get an answer now, Joker shook the thought off. She prayed it wasn't a one time thing and followed her friends inside.

* * *

''Hey, duck!''

Skull swiped at a Berith that had just tried to take Mona down and charge him, halting his second attack in time. Panther hit it with a spray of bullets that finished it off before a Silky hit her. The rest of the shadows attacked together, causing more damage.

Mona grunted ''Hang on! Come Zorro, Dia!''

His companions were surrounded by healing light that helped them recover, something they put to use as they were quick to go on a counter strike. Panther lashed out with her whip, then summoning Carmen who struck enemies down with her flames. Captain Kidd plowed into a couple of shadows, giving Skull and Joker room to finish them off before the latter summoned Jack-o-Lantern who helped Captain Kidd destroy the remaining shadows.

The shadows were blocking a way to a library, which was thankfully empty. Panther glanced around the shelves, noticing the dust on most of the books ''You know, I have a hard time imagining Kamoshida spending much time around here.''

''Ditto.'' Skull agreed with a snort. ''Think there's anything we can use here?''

''Let's find out.'' They proceeded to examine the room. A common theme about a good number of the books quickly became clear.

''It's like they're all about him...'' Joker trailed off.

Panther's eyes narrowed ''Yeah, here's one about Kamoshida's so called rise to excellence.''

''This one's called Kamoshida's golden rules...'' Skull frowned as he read the words on the back of the book. ''...it's just like the pep rally, another ego trip for him.''

''It gets worse, you guys.'' The three looked at Mona, who held a pair of books up. The titles were Sakamoto Ryuji: the Vulgar Ape and Takamaki Ann: the Lovely Doll.

Joker noted a familiar name on a nearby shelf '...Here's a book about Suzui-san too...'

The four were understandably irked by all this. Panther scowled ''Who does he think he is?!''

Mona huffed ''The more I learn about this guy, the more I want to make him pay...'' He noticed a book on a table nearby then glancing back at the empty spot on the shelf behind him. ''...Joker, would you try putting this there?''

The girl did so, pausing in surprise as the shelf suddenly moved. It revealed a small space behind it, leaving Joker to inhale sharply as she took in the pictures that lay there.

''What is it?'' The others came to take a look, only to be stunned to find that the pictures were all of Shiho. They were in quite a number of positions, predatory images that really made plenty of sense now that they knew what Kamoshida was like.

Skull took one and crumpled it. Panther paled, thinking of her best friend and how much she endured because of their enemy.

Joker noticed this ''Panther...''

''...I'm okay. We're going to make sure he doesn't get away with this, after all.'' She stated.

''You can count on that.'' Mona assured while the other two nodded.

Panther saw another book out of place, trying a couple of empty spots on shelves before her third try caused the shelf to move. Like before, it shifted to reveal a hidden area. This one also had pictures, but they were of Panther herself, making the girl stiffen in surprise.

''...You think we can torch this place?'' Skull asked after a few moments.

Joker had to admit, a part of her was tempted to go for it ''No, it'd get way too much attention. We're supposed to be narrowing down the path to the treasure. Just remember, this place won't be around for much longer once we're through.''

''Yeah, yeah, that works...'' He admitted, the knowledge helping him calm down for the moment.

A glint brought his eye to something near the bottom of the hidden space, finding a key. ''Look at that...wonder where it goes?''

''I saw a locked door on our way here, let's try that.'' Mona suggested.

In the end, that turned out to be the right idea. The door led to a hall that eventually took them to the second part of the castle. The group of four stopped at a new safe room, deciding to break off for the day and start from here next time.

One thing was for sure, this visit had affirmed their determination to take Kamoshida down that much more. They agreed not to give up and do their best to succeed.

* * *

 _Well, as much as I wanted to add some more, I think I'll stop here._

 _So how was this? I didn't want to rush it and I didn't want to put too many details or anything. I was going for showing what their first attempt would be like now that their goal is set. I mean this is like, the starting point for the phantom thieves and all. I hope it was all right. This is basically building up for the oncoming action._

 _Next time will finish the palace and of course the calling card, maybe the fight against Shadow Kamoshida himself if it doesn't turn out too long. (Yeah, the arc's all planned out but I haven't written a word of the next chapter yet)._

 _Okay, so what I put in about the safe room and the third eye ability is more or less how I understood them. I'm not sure if that's fully right, feel free to correct me if it's off. My brother beat the game and I remember him mentioning how the safe room seems different on the maps and that what got me thinking._

 _I'm considering making Shiho one of Namine's confidants. It might happen if I can work the arcana's development well but I'm still thinking it over._

 _Thanks to ILuvCupCakes2000 and nico2411 for their reviews and thanks to anyone who reads my work. I would love to find some feedback, till next time!_

 _Arcana: Chariot (Rank 1) Sakamoto Ryuji_

 _Lovers (Rank 1) Takamaki Ann_

 _Magician (Rank 1) Morgana_

 _Death (Rank 1) Takemi Tae_

 _Fool (Rank 2) Igor_


	6. Chapter 6

_Hey, I had more free time so I got to finish this one earlier than I expected. Well, this is it. The conclusion to the palace is ready. I hope you like it._

 _storyecho71: Heh, thanks! Namine's grandparents are definitely going to make a few appearances. Maybe not in person for a while though, for reasons that will be explained here. As for the original twist, it starts next chapter._

* * *

''A part time job?''

Namine nodded ''I'm pretty much used to the school schedule by now so I figure why not try to find one. I'd like a change of pace. It's not like I need the money but I'd rather not wait until I do.''

''I hear you.'' Sojiro set a plate of curry with a spoon for her before continuing. This made him revisit his newly changing judgement of his charge. ''Well, I haven't heard of any but you should check the underground mall. There's some offers around there every once in a while.''

''Thanks, I will.'' Namine made a mental note to look into this, moreso once they were done with the palace.

''Ah, right.'' Sojiro's voice brought her attention back to the barista, who held up an envelope. ''This came for you yesterday. It's from your grandparents.''

The girl's face lit up as she took the item. ''Oh, they did say they'd get in touch when they could...''

''So they went and took up that world cruise after all?''

''Yeah...'' Namine blinked. It was true that her grandparents had gone into that recently but...''...wait, I didn't-Sakura-san, do you know them?''

''They were some of my regulars when they lived here.'' He admitted. ''Itsuki seemed pretty happy when he told me how they won. He mentioned something about how he had some trouble selling the idea to Yuri.''

Namine giggled ''That's because she was actually trying to plan ahead. Quoting Grandma 'If it was up to that him, your grandfather would have us getting on that cruise with little more than the clothes on our back. He's like a little kid sometimes!'''

''Go figure...'' Sojiro smirked ''...that bag of bones is still a bundle of energy.''

''You know he'd never let you hear the end of it with that kind of talk, right?''

''That still doesn't make it any less true.'' He stated, glancing at the envelope again. ''They're the only ones I know who still insist on writing letters now...''

Namine smiled to herself and read the letter. It was mostly asking about her wellfare, once again reaffirming their faith in her and also telling a bit about their trip so far. There was also a little footnote giving her a number to call them and an apparently new e-mail address.

Morgana, who had been able to read a bit of the letter from his place in her bag, smiled. It was nice to see how they cared about Namine.

It also came with a couple of pictures. One was a photo of the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The second was of a couple in their fifties, standing in a lovely garden. The woman had bright blue eyes and dark red hair and the man had brown eyes and dark hair that was beginning to go gray.

Namine's smile widened at the sight of her grandparents, Hyakuya Yuri and Hyakuya Itsuki. They had been a true pillar of support through the recent weeks and though they regretted that they weren't there, she was only grateful for them. Itsuki had suggested that they abandon the trip to help her but Namine, refusing to have that, put the idea to a stop and told them that she would be fine. She had no intention of letting her own trouble ruin something they had been looking forward to. They had relented after some hassle but made her promise to keep in touch.

Remembering the time, Namine put them away and stood ''Thanks for the curry, Sakura-san. I'll see you later.''

''Right.''

* * *

Later, the group of four once again returned to Kamoshida's Palace. Having made good progress before, they were able to start their travels near the second tower...

''So you seemed real happy before, Joker, did anything good happen?'' Panther asked.

''Yeah...'' The girl's expression softened as she remembered the letter. ''...but I'll tell you later. Let's concentrate on what we have to do here.''

''Can do. Mona, you know if we're close to the treasure?''

''I think we're closer...but not enough for me to tell where it is.'' The cat offered.

''That's not saying much.'' Skull grunted. ''You're our guide. Shouldn't you be clearer about this stuff?''

Mona looked annoyed ''I can't help it, okay? That's the truth! Besides, give me a break. This is a first for me too.''

''In all fairness, he's been helping us a lot, Skull. We haven't seen all of the palace anyway, things will probably become clearer then.'' Joker remarked.

'There's no point whining about things we can't control. Just do what we came here to do.' Carmen stated.

''Sounds good to me.'' Mona returned before the four went on.

* * *

Following Mona's earlier advice, the group was able to ambush the shadows guarding the first room. This left them weakened and all the more easier to defeat.

''That was easy!'' Skull grinned.

''Yeah, but we've got a problem. Look!'' Panther pointed to the door nearby, which was now sealed with a wall.

''What? Did those damn things set us up?'' The ex-athlete frowned. ''All right, let's just make our own way...''

''No, don't!'' Mona cut in. ''We don't know if that could work. And if it did, we'll just bring a whole lot of enemies on us.''

''Okay, what do we do?''

''Well...let's look around, there might be another way to open the door.''

There didn't seem to be anything around here for them to use though. Joker bit her lip, something seemed strange but she wasn't sure what...

'You feel it too, don't you?'

She blinked at Arsene's voice, hearing him continue 'It's like what you did yesterday. That wasn't a coincidence.'

Joker missed the others looking at her curiously as she addressed the gentleman thief ''So you know about...''

'Yes and I doubt it was a coincidence. Why don't you try remembering that feeling? It might help now.'

Seeing no reason not to, Joker followed the suggestion. She closed her eyes for a bit, trying to concentrate. When she opened them, the girl was suprised to note how her vision seemed to sharpen suddenly. This let her notice a concealed handle at the far the side of the room. She pulled it, the action apparently causing a second lever to appear in the side where her friends stood. Panther pulled it down, pausing in surprise when the door was opened.

''Joker, going by what you two just said, is this some kind of new ability?'' Mona inquired.

''I think so...'' The words died in her mouth as a distant cry reached their ears.

''W-what was that?'' Panther looked around.

''It's not too far from here...''

More noise soon came and they were able to determine the source from somewhere down the hall. Going in said direction eventually lead them to a gym. Unlike the library and classroom which seemed old and mostly unused, this place was practically sparkling clean. Before they could enter though, three shadows went nearby and the four hid quickly.

''King Kamoshida wins again!''

''Yeah, big surprise there. No one can beat him!''

''Absolutely, he's the best. The losers never stood a chance.''

Their voices soon faded as they left the area. Mona entered the gym with the others, looking around curiously ''Maybe we came close to seeing a game. He's a famous volleyball player, right? I can imagine him having games here every now and then.''

'It would be similar to the rally. Just another way for him to show off.' Captain Kidd remarked.

'It would fit that arrogant bastard.' Carmen hissed.

''Yeah, but with who? There's no one around.'' Panther pointed out.

Joker noticed Skull's grim expression. She thought things over and suddenly had a good guess of what he had in mind ''You think...?''

''Yeah, you heard the captain. Who else would fit now?''

Panther gave them a quizzical look ''What do you mean?''

It was Zorro who replied 'The prisoners.'

''Oh...right, you guys said he had those players locked up...'' She recalled.

''Yeah, it was messed up.'' Mona grimaced. ''They were so frightened of him that they didn't even want to leave their cells. I can imagine him dragging them into this. There was plenty of noise on our way. He must have gotten some shadows to take them away.''

''Bastard...'' Skull ground out. ''...just look at that!''

The three followed his line of sight, starting in surprise when their eyes fell on a statue of Kamoshida.

''Like he deserves that.'' The teen continued to grumble, his mood worsening as he took in the statue's proud pose.

''The more I hear about this guy, the more egoistic he seems.'' Mona remarked.

'You haven't even seen the real thing yet, too.' Carmen reminded.

''I can't wait until we knock the bastard down to size.'' Skull stated as they walked away from the gym.

Moments later, some shadows materialized before them. Their leader seemed to be a Berith, who spoke up then ''So you are the intruders who dare to oppose our king. How dare you disrespect him? Such a great man...and you not only forced yourselves but you dared to insult him and enter his sacred place? This is where his abilities come to light, where he outstrips everyone. He is like a god.''

''You've gotta be kidding me, there's nothing great about him.'' Panther spat.

''Nothing godly either.'' Mona added flatly. ''Guys, let's just deal with them.''

''Very well,'' the Berith hissed. ''If you won't see the truth, we'll just beat it into you. Attack!''

The shadows did so at once. An Agathion and two Silkies flew around them quickly, the first flying in to a tackle while the two used the distraction to cast magic.

Mona grimaced as he tried to defend himself, quickly forced to dodge a Bicorn's lunge. Panther blasted the shadow back with an Agi while Joker hit one of the Silkies with a similar spell courtesy of Jack-o-Lantern.

Skull noticed a Pixie about to heal the enemies and he quickly bashed her head before she could react. The Berith raised his weapon to strike and the teen was too close to dodge, leaving him no choice but to tank it. The Bicorn charged at him next while the Agathion tackled Joker and the Silkies attacked Panther and Mona.

''Come on, Captain!'' Skull summoned his persona. ''Zio!''

The bolt of lightning struck the Bicorn down just as it attacked again, but Skull was hit by a Bufu before he could finish it off. Mona cut the Silky behind the spell down and Panther took it and the other out with her persona's flames.

Joker tanked an attack from the Berith before she jumped back and summoned Arsene ''Let's try this, Sukunda!''

A wave of energy surrounded the shadow before its moves seemingly got much slower. Joker had no problems avoiding its next attacks and countering before Arsene took it out with an Eiha. Skull had Captain Kidd lunge at the remaining shadow before blasting it with his cannon.

''Nice work, here you go.'' Mona started healing them and Panther soon followed suit.

''I know you said they're supposed to follow Kamoshida but listening to that was just...ugh...'' She trailed off.

''Yeah, it can't be helped...'' The group once more went on their way.

* * *

After defeating some more shadows and coming across a safe room, they were unfortunately met with a new hurdle.

There was a room that seemed close to a staircase. The problem was, their only route was blocked by scythes that sweeped all over as they went from left to right.

Skull grimaced ''Great...I bet that's where we need to go. How do we stop those things?''

'There's something here...' He blinked at Zorro's voice, then noticing Mona walk to his right.

''Yup...'' The cat gestured to a keyhole beside him. ''...we've got to find the key.''

''I think we can use that. Look...'' Panther pointed to the floor they had just left, where a pair of shadows walked. The two headed into a secluded area they hadn't noticed before.

The four headed back over to see about this. Though they came to a stop upon hearing some shadows approaching from a different direction. Mona and Joker went to a wall near them with the former telling Skull and Panther to do the same on their side.

It worked, the newly arrived group of shadows completely missed them. What the group caught from the conversation proved that they were the shadows' targets, but they remained quiet and waited for them to leave.

''Why do you keep saying to hide?'' Skull demanded as they stepped out. ''I bet we could take them!''

''That's not the problem. We can't fight every single shadow we run into.'' Joker pointed out.

''Yeah, we'd just get tired real quick. We find enough shadows already.'' Panther added.

Mona nodded in complete agreement ''So those two went this way...''

The new path led to a big room which had a sealed pathway. There were three shadows who spotted them and attacked at once. They were soon defeated and the path opened, though they found a strange jewel which Mona decided to keep. It took the quartet to another room that seemed to be at a lower level as the scythes were visible even higher now.

Panther tilted her head a bit ''Joker, you think you can use that new power from before? It sounds like it can give us a clue.''

Nodding, the other girl focused for a few moments and looked around. It took a bit more to get it right but it worked and Joker soon took them to a hall that seemed empty.

''It's...pointing at that.'' Joker nodded at the strange large structure at the center of the room. They walked over for a closer look.

''What is this anyway? It looks weird.'' Skull stated.

''...That's because we're not looking at the whole thing.'' Panther informed after a few seconds.

The structure was actually a big bust of Kamoshida, leaving the quartet unimpressed at yet another example of his large ego.

''And I thought the statue was bad...'' Skull huffed.

''Don't look now. We might find something even worse pretty soon.'' Panther pointed out.

''Somehow I get the feeling you jinxed us...'' Joker trailed off.

Mona cocked his head ''But why'd your ability bring us here?'' He squinted at the structure again, then noticing that its eyes were missing. ''Oh!''

The cat took out the jewel, it seemed to be a perfect fit for the eye. ''I bet we just have to get the other one.''

''And if this one was with a shadow, that's where we'll find it.'' Panther remarked.

They backtracked a bit but were able to find the shadow, who surprisingly ran the second it noticed them. Left with no choice, the four gave chase. It was able to evade them a couple of times but once they cornered it, that was that. They found the second jewel after its defeat.

The jewels floated up to the eyes after they returned to the second hidden room. Thiis revealed a new door that led to a staircase.

Panther exhaled in annoyance after seeing that despite climbing a fair share, there seemed to be plenty more to go ''Come on, how many of those are there?''

Skull looked back at her ''It's fine, let's keep going.'' The girl grumbled but continued. ''Sure, you're not just being lazy?''

''We can't all be athletes...''

Joker paused once they got out off the stairs ''I think this is actually lucky. Look.'' Gesturing to the area behind them, it turned out that the new path actually led to the hall after the scythes.

The quartet continued for a bit before stopping as a new voice resounded through the hall...

''I never thought you'd make it this far, intruders...'' A shadow materialized before them as the voice continued. ''...I will make you pay for your transgressions against our king!''

The shadow's form seemed a bit vague since it was mostly in the shadows at first but when it came closer to the light, they began to wish that it didn't. Let's just say it was...rather grotesque.

Mona was momentarily dumbfounded at the sight while Joker tried not to recoil ''Is that...ugh, this guy cannot get anymore messed up.''

Skull grimaced ''You know what, Joker was right. Panther jinxed us...''

''Who cares, let's kill this thing and fast!'' Panther suppressed a shudder before summoning Carmen as the new shadow attacked. ''Agi!''

The spell made it jump back but it didn't seem to have much of an effect. Skull and Joker attacked next, their weapons causing it to cry out. Mona tried a Garu spell but again, it seemed to be of little use.

''Physical attacks seem to be the way to go,'' Mona noted, raising his scimitar. ''Concentrate on that, you guys!''

''Got it!''

The monster tried to lunge at Mona, who jumped out of the way and cut it with his weapon.

''Skull, how about you try using that new spell you of yours?'' Joker suggested after slowing the enemy down with a Sukunda spell.

He perked up, remembering the new skill he'd gotten to try out earlier ''Good idea. Let's go, Captain!'' The pirate persona appeared behind him. ''Tarukaja!''

The teen targeted Mona, who had been standing closest to the shadow. The cat blinked curiously ''Oh, so that's what it's like...All right then!'' He attacked again, now easily able to dodge the counter as the monster was still too slow. As Skull took to casting the spell on their whole group, the others kept their attacks up.

The monster roared and thrashed as it was forced to take the enhanced strikes. It tried to bite Panther, who responded by using her whip at its mouth. This angered it and made it resort to a tackle that almost knocked her down. Mona healed the girl while Joker and Skull kept the enemy away from them.

Eventually, while the enemy had stamina to spare, they were able to take it down. It was almost right after that that they discovered the path to the last room, the throne room.

''This is it!'' Mona exclaimed, seeming excited. ''We found the treasure's location!''

''Even if you say that...'' Panther was skeptic. ''...where is it? I don't see anything that looks like a treasure.''

''Oh, over here.'' He led them to a pedestal which had a wispy, floating orb over it.

''That's it?'' Skull cocked his head.

''Yeah, definitely not what I was expecting.'' Panther admitted.

''...Mona, what're we missing here?'' Joker asked. ''I remember you saying Kamoshida's shadow would try to stop us taking it. But we haven't even seen him anywhere. This just feels way too simple.''

The cat smirked ''As expected of you, Joker! We're not quite finished yet. This isn't the treasure's true form. We have to make it appear.''

''How?''

''By sending a calling card!'' Mona replied. ''It'll change his cognition and affect the treasure. This is how stealing it will really affect him.''

''Sounds like we really are coming to be phantom thieves, cool!'' Skull exclaimed. ''Can I write it? I really want to try!''

Mona shrugged ''Sure, why not?''

''All right!''

''So we go back and make sure Kamoshida sees the card then we get to take the treasure...'' Panther summarized.

''Right, I can bring us right back here when the time comes.'' Mona informed. ''Now let's make sure to prepare ourselves.''

* * *

The next day...

Morgana carefully poked his head out Namine's bag as she and Ann walked down a hall ''I don't get it. Things don't seem all that different. Is the school really going so far as to cover up that incident? More like, how'd Kamoshida get out of this one?''

''Last I checked, Shiho's still out of it.'' Ann replied. ''Besides, Kamoshida has the principal in his pocket. Apparently, since he helped bring fame to the school, he could do no wrong.''

''Are you kidding me?'' The cat sounded disgusted. He didn't know the girl like his new companions did but he did feel for her. The poor thing had suffered so much because of Kamoshida. Morgana just hadn't realized how incompetent the school administration was turning out to be.

''Since when is the school's reputation more important than the students? If things hadn't gone down the way they died, she could have died.''

''I couldn't have said it better myself...''

''That's her?''

Ann blinked at the unfamiliar voice and looked around, noticing a group of students watching them.

''Yeah, the new transfer student...''

''Really? With all we've heard, I thought she'd be different.''

''I know, she's pretty...''

''She can't be as bad as people say, right? I mean she did save Suzui.''

''Yeah, I don't get it. I talked to her before and she was really nice...''

''I don't know, it could be an act.''

''Oh, come off it. Nobody's that good at acting.''

''Well then why was she arrested?''

''I'm still not sold. We don't know the whole story...'' The group walked away.

Ann glared at them ''Can't they find something else to do?''

''It's okay.'' Namine remarked. ''There's no helping it. Hey, did Ryuji text you? He seems pretty excited.''

''Yeah...'' Ann glanced at the phone. ''...should I be worried about this? I remember how some of his essays were back in middle school. He didn't have the best track record.''

''Somehow that doesn't surprise me...'' Morgana muttered.

Namine gave a bemused look ''Don't be so harsh, you two. Give him a chance. We can just deal with whatever happens anyway. We're almost there.''

''Yeah and I can't wait!'' Morgana admitted.

''Same here. We're taking the bastard down for sure.'' Ann stated.

* * *

The group soon headed on their seperate ways, making sure to do what they can to prepare. After they'd lucked out and found a gun which Ann made use of in the palace, Ryuji volunteered to pick up some ammo for their next visit while the girls took care of the necessary supplies. Since Morgana warned them that sending the calling card left them with a short window of opportunity to steal the treasure, they wanted to make the most of this.

Ryuji planned to get to school early the following day to sneak the calling card in. He was rather looking forward to this. What made working on it that much better was imagining Kamoshida's reaction when he would see the card.

The former athlete could barely even try to focus on classes in his anticipation. Soon, they would take Kamoshida down for all the people he'd hurt. To say the thought was satisfying would be an understatement.

''A calling card?'' One of the students asked, Ryuji had to hold back a grin at this.

''Yeah, everyone's talking about it. Apparently someone stuck them all around the second floor.'' Another answered. ''It says Kamoshida-sensei did something bad...''

So clearly the calling cards were already causing a commotion, Ryuji thought, that was really good. Now to see if it would work on Kamoshida...

''Ryuji.'' Ann's voice made him turn around to see her and Namine approaching with Morgana in the latter's bag. ''We got your message. You already did it?''

''Yup! Real early too. I wanted to make sure everyone could see them.'' He admitted. ''Take a look.''

Indeed, there were a lot of students facing the red cards that were stuck on the boards, all taking them in.

Ann went over to read it ''Sir Suguru Kamoshida, the utter bastard of lust. We know how shitty you are and that you put your twisted desires on students that can't fight back. That's why we have decided to steal away those desires and make you confess your sins. This will be done tomorrow, so we hope you will be ready. From, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts...''

She went back to them as they began walking away from the crowds, with Ryuji grinning ''Not bad, eh?''

''Um, yeah...'' Ann trailed off. ''...I know what you wanted to say, but it sounds like an idiot trying to be an adult.''

''Your logo's lacking too.'' Morgana remarked.

The boy bristled ''T-that ain't true!''

''Well, I think it's good.'' Namine's statement made him look at her gratefully. ''After all, it seems...''

The girl's sudden pause made the three follow her line of sight and they understood when noticing Kamoshida walking up to the board, looking incensed.

''Who's responsible for this?!'' He demanded. The remaining students only avoided his gaze or cleared out. ''Who did this?!'' He turned to face the thieves. ''Was it you?!''

''What're you even talking about?'' Ryuji cocked his head. ''We only came because everyone was making a big deal about this.''

''Though I can't help but notice that you haven't denied a thing.'' Namine remarked coolly while Ann glared at the man.

Kamoshida's eyes narrowed ''Watch it, Hyakuya. You're towing a dangerous line here. I don't know what this joke is about but I'll make sure the one behind it pays...I guess it doesn't matter even if it was Sakamoto. His days here are numbered. And if you two don't remember your place, you'll be following his lead.''

Then, something seemed to shift in the air before Kamoshida was replaced by his shadow form.

''Come...steal it if you dare!'' He taunted.

It faded away quickly but that was all the confirmation the quartet needed. The calling card worked perfectly, which meant it was time to take their target down.

* * *

The four soon arrived at the throne room. But strangely enough, the door was wide open and there weren't even any guards.

''What's going on?'' Panther wondered.

''The guards are probably staffed somewhere else. Remember they were all over the place trying to find us.'' Mona chipped in. ''Anyway, let's go.''

''I get that you're excited but try to be careful.'' Joker frowned as they followed the cat. While she would have liked to believe this was it, it just didn't seem right.

The orb from their last visit had disappeared. It was now replaced by a large, shiny crown.

''That's the real treasure? It's huge!'' Skull exclaimed.

''It worked as I expected! Now it's ours for the taking!'' Mona smiled brightly. ''Ahh, treasure...this shine brings tears to my eyes!

''For being that bastard's desires, it's too pretty...'' Panther looked irritated.

Mona's eyes shone as he mumbled ''T-treasure...''

The others missed this as their attention was on the new find ''How do we carry this thing though?'' Skull wondered.

''Good question...''

''Treasure...'' Mona walked closer.

Joker blinked ''Mona? What're you...?''

Then the cat did something that threw them for a loop. He meowed loudly and jumped on the crown. He rubbed his face against the item, purring contently.

''Okay, what...?'' Panther blinked twice.

''That's not catnip.'' Skull's eye twitched as Mona continued having his own fun. ''Enough already, you stupid cat!''

Mona jumped down, seemingly regaining his senses ''Err, yeah...forgive me for displaying such an insolent sight in front of ladies...''

''You were completely out of character too. What was that about?'' Panther inquired.

''I don't know. I couldn't help myself.'' Mona admitted. ''To think I'd be drown to human desires this much...Doesn't this prove I'm human?!''

''How do we know? Why the hell would you bring this up now?!''

''Well, it's just...''

''Can we debate this later? We need to get moving.'' Joker reminded.

''R-right!'' Mona acknowledged. ''Well, you just have to carry it...''

'We can help with that.' Arsene offered.

''Oh, good point! Well let's get to it.''

Mona grinned ''To think it'd go so well...I found three persona users in the process. I made the right choice in making a deal with you!''

Just as they summoned the four personas, Arsene and Zorro surprised them by moving to their left.

The reason became clear when the two personas fended off something fast coming the group's way. A moment later, a cheer resounded throughout the room.

''Go, go! Let's go, Kamoshida!''

The shadow appeared behind the crown, it shone before shrinking and landing on his hand. ''I won't let anyone have this!''

Fake Ann came out of the shadows and hugged him as he continued ''This is the core of this world, proof that I am king!''

Panther glared at her doppelganger ''This again...I guess the lesson didn't sink in the first time...''

''So you were waiting to ambush us, pervert?'' Skull asked.

''I'll dispose of you myself now.'' The evil king stated.

''That's our line, your lousy sexually harrassing dirt bag!'' Panther snapped.

''What a selfish misunderstanding...''

''What're you on about?'' Mona demanded. ''It's just like he says, you just hid it from everyone. You hurt so many people and tormented the students you were supposed to care for!''

''But I am.'' Shadow Kamoshida's words left them bewildered. ''You really don't understand a thing. The adults who want to share in my accomplishments, students who have the drive to become winners...they're the ones who kept it a secret. You see, they protect me willingly so we can all profit from it. In fact, you two...'' his eyes fell on Joker and Panther. ''...could have understood. You could have benefited it as well if you'd stop this pointless resistance.''

The intent behind his words was clear to the four and they merely glared at him.

Skull growled ''Shut up, you disgusting prick! Stop talking about this like it's a good thing!''

''I should have known you wouldn't understand, you imbeciles. Naive idiots like you and that girl who tried to kill herself are a lost cause.'' The king sneered.

''Why you...!''

''True, she's a total idiot...'' Panther said to general surprise. ''...letting you manipulate her so badly...but I'm an even bigger idiot for not realizing the truth. But no matter what kind of person they are...no one needs your permission to live their lives!''

''Exactly. Everyone deserves a chance to live on their own terms. They deserve to be free.'' Joker stated.

''Drop this attitude! There's nothing wrong in using MY gifts for MY gain! I'm a cut above ALL other humans!'' Shadow Kamoshida declared.

''Above?'' Joker echoed. ''Yeah, right! That's beneath, you sunk so far below that it's downright pathetic. You're a lowly demon obsessed with your twisted desires!''

He began to chuckle ominously as red light pooled around him. ''That's right...'' He grabbed the fake Ann and the crown as a shadow rose behind him. The shadow and red energy seemed to merge with him, creating a blinding flash that made the thieves look away. ''...I'm the demon who rules this world!''

''W-what the...?!'' Skull blurted.

Their enemy had changed completely. He appeared now as a pink demon with a large head and many hands with the crown on its head and a long tongue. One hand held a glass that seemed to hold a drink that had some legs swirling around, another held a knife, a third had a fork and the remaining arms had volleyballs.

''It's time for you all to die!''

Mona prepared his weapon ''I'm guessing that's his true power. Don't do anything rash, let's wait for an opening.''

''First things first then, Carmen, Tarunda!'' Panther cast.

The demon grunted as the force of the spell took effect, leaving him somewhat weakened. Mona smirked as he went to attack ''Good call, Panther!''

Skull proceeded to cast Tarukaja on the four of them while Mona avoided the shadow's hands lashing out at him. The one that held the fork came close but Joker stopped it with a few bullets. Mona cast a Garu and Joker switched to Jack-o-Lantern to follow it up with an Agi spell, increasing the damage of both attacks, making Shadow Kamoshida yelp in pain.

''We've got plenty more of that, go Captain Kidd!'' Skull called as he had the persona headbutt the demon and Panther whipped it on the opposite side.

''N'gh!'' The enemy groaned. ''I'm not done...'' It stabbed the fork into one of the legs in the cup before swallowing them and his visible injuries seemed to disappear.

''So eating those lets him heal?'' Mona wondered.

''Guess we know what we've got to do now.'' Joker remarked.

''Yeah...'' The cat's eyes narrowed as they concentrated on the cup.

The shadow attacked with his tongue next and only Mona was fast enough to avoid it but then he thrust out his hands, and the cat was forced to block the one holding the fork with his sword.

It quickly then attacked with a barrage of volleyballs, leaving the thieves with no choice but to defend to the best of their ability.

Skull ran forward and attacked with his pipe and Joker blasted one of the enemy's eyes with a burst of flames. Mona and Panther fell back to healing, going on to casting a round of Media and Dia respectively.

The shadow flicked its tongue again but Joker cut at it with her dagger, making him yelp. He swiped with the fork and knife next, forcing the two teens back as they were about to charge him again. Shadow Kamoshida then smirked as he drank from the glass again.

''Dammit, we have to get rid of that thing...'' Skull grunted.

''Well then, let's try this.'' Joker shot at the glass three times, leaving the enemy stunned.

''Hey, don't touch that!''

Skull called on his persona and cast Zio, making sure to aim at the glass. It was still in one piece but it was obvious that they were causing a good amount of damage.

''Dammit, I said don't touch it! This is very important!'' The shadow cried.

''The more you say something like that, the more we'd want to do it more!'' Mona exclaimed as he slashed at the cup. Panther struck it a few times with her whip, leaving it badly damaged. Mona saw that the shadow was about to drink again ''I don't think so. Come, Zorro! Garu!''

The gusts of wind not only rattled the shadow but it also made the glass fall out of his hand and shatter on the ground.

''NO!''

''Good going, Mona!'' Panther grinned and the cat smirked.

''Why you insolent...do you even know who you're attacking?!'' The shadow snarled.

''Oh, we know. We just don't care.'' Joker stated.

''Get over yourself, asshole! You're nothing special!'' Skull added.

''You're wrong! I am Kamoshida, the king!''

''Oh, please.'' Mona scoffed. ''You don't have much of a leg to stand on. Talk about a load of hot air.''

''I'll say, he's still looking down on everyone but he's really lame.'' Skull agreed.

Shadow Kamoshida growled ''Silence, you fools! I'm the king! If I'm not then, who is?!''

The four attacked together, spells and weapons flew at the shadow, leaving him to cry out as it incurred plenty of damage. This was an All Out Attack, another technique Mona showed the group on their previous visits.

''Gah...ah...'' The shadow panted. ''...it can't end like this. I'm the king...''

''He's still talking like that?'' Mona looked annoyed.

''Looks like we still have to fight...'' Panther trailed off.

''...I'll use my killshot...that'll show them whose on top!''

Joker looked alarmed, she didn't know what that meant but it was obviously nothing good. ''Guys, we've got to defend now!''

The three were quick to follow the command. And not a moment too soon. For their enemy was able to get a golden volleyball which he spiked and left to explode before them. It would have caused good damage had they not defended on time. As it were, Mona and Panther were able to summon their personas and get back to healing themselves and their friends.

Skull and Joker ran up to attack the shadow from the sides with their respective weapons, leaving him to grunt as he tried to get back at them but to no avail.

''Listen up, the school came to be because of me! You're the only ones who don't respect me!'' Shadow Kamoshida declared.

''That's because you don't deserve any respect!'' Panther snapped.

''We've got to take the treasure...only how?'' Mona frowned.

''I've got an idea.'' Joker admitted as the two groups joined up. ''Guys, would you help?''

''Of course!'' The first replied while Skull nodded.

''You don't even need to ask.'' Panther chipped in.

The girl gave a small smile as she started explaining her plan...

Shadow Kamoshida prepared to attack once again ''Getting tired, brats? Well too bad, you're not going to get any rest!'' He tried to attack with his tongue but it didn't seem to do much.

The next thing he knew, he was stunned by a blast of lightning that struck his head. ''What?!''

''Agi!'' ''Garu!''

A pair of fireballs and a burst of wind hit the ground next, raising a dust cloud. Before the shadow knew what was going on, Joker and Mona hit its arms with their blades, hacking a pair right off.

''Eat this!'' Panther summoned another fire spell, sending it to the shadow's mouth, leaving him to scream.

Grunting, he forced himself to keep going and hit Joker with the knife. Mona growled as he saw the perverted gaze the enemy was giving the girls. He flicked his tongue at them again, forcing them back to dodge while Panther tried hitting him with her whip.

''Great, now he's just staring at me...'' She muttered.

He aimed to lick her with his tongue next, forcing her to go on her knees as it seemed to cause good damage. The shadow grinned as he went to attack again.

''Panther!'' Mona ran to help her.

Trusting their feline companion to handle this, Joker kept her focus on the enemy. He tried to stab at her friends, leaving her to block his knife with her dagger. As he tried to use his other arms to push her back, Joker thought fast and summoned Arsene and the gentleman thief helped her fend him off. Joker took the chance he offered her and attacked again, leaving the shadow stunned as she cut a gash on his side.

She looked back at Mona and Panther ''You okay there?''

''I am now, thanks guys.'' The latter returned as she stood.

''Guess I should have known you'd step in,'' Shadow Kamoshida began. ''Trying to be a hero again? Well don't bother! You won't amount to anything!''

''That's rich.'' Joker said flatly. ''I don't have to explain anything to someone like you. I did what I thought was right and now that I know the truth, I'm only glad I got to help Suzui-san.''

''Hmph. Cocky brat...so even my attempts to make sure you'd stay in your place failed...''

''Attempts to...?'' This made Mona remember something. ''So Panther was right, you're the one who slandered Joker!''

''And if I am?'' The evil king demanded. ''I was only giving the pathetic masses what they wanted and they lapped it up. After all, who would think a criminal brat charged with assault would ever save a life? I am the only one who should be famous, the one who should be admired.''

This wasn't too surprising to them since it was effectively the same motivation behind what he did to Skull and the track team, just another example of the man's ego. Not that it made the whole situation any less infuriating...

''Now I'll finish you...time for my Killer Spike!''

The declaration left the three thieves alarmed. However, seeing that he was slower with all the damage he'd taken, they attacked together. The combined assault had a better effect then they hoped, flooring the enemy.

''Guh...damn you...I won't fail...I am King! Know your place!'' He groaned, raising his head slowly.

''He's still going on about that?'' Panther frowned.

''Well, we're just going to have to...'' Mona was cut off by the shadow's cry as he tried to pull himself together.

''Wait...something's wrong...'' He started. ''...one of them is missing? Why?!''

''You're too late...'' Noticing Skull behind one of the pillars, Mona signaled discreetly to the girls as they agreed earlier before he raised his slingshot. Similarly, the girls held up their guns and fired. The shadow managed to dodge two of the shots but the third one hit the crown. Grunting, the shadow looked around, coming to Skull as he ran over. Joker thought fast and called on Arsene to cast an Eiha on the enemy's eyes, successfully blinding him. Skull smirked and took the given opportunity, snatching the crown then.

''Ha! Got it!''

Panther smiled ''Nice! It worked just like Joker said!''

''The hell...?'' Shadow Kamoshida groaned as he noticed Skull rejoining the others. ''...you planned all this?''

''Yup and you fell for it hook, line and sinker.'' Skull grinned.

Joker's idea had been somewhat troublesome to enact but the results were very satisfying. She had them cast magic to cover Skull as he snuck around the shadow for a chance to take the crown before they did everything they could to keep it distracted while the boy went closer. Then, while he was in a prime position to act, they would throw the shadow off with their guns and make the perfect opporunity to steal the treasure.

''Now...since everyone had a shot, it's my turn!'' Skull declared as he fired a round of bullets. This served to knock the enemy down and they proceeded to use a second All Out Attack.

''And stay down!'' Mona called as he and Joker finished this up, slashing with their blades. Their enemy finally collapsed, clearly unable to fight anymore.

Moments later, the shadow was surrounded in a black aura before he changed back into his human form. He surprised them by getting up suddenly and grabbing the crown before running away. The quartet wasted no time in chasing him down.

They found him panicking near a window, he was trapped with no way out. He took one look at the thieves and slumped, kneeling.

''Please...spare my life.''

''Pathetic.'' Panther said coldly. ''You can't run anymore so this is what you do? So much for the great athlete...''

''Please...I just want to...''

''You have no right to ask us for anything.'' Joker interrupted. ''Not after what you did.''

''What's wrong about demanding a reward for my effots?! Those hyenas always force their expectations on me!'' The shadow cried.

Skull frowned ''Now you're just making excuses. At least take responsiblity for your actions!''

''You might have decided this was right but that doesn't make it so.'' Mona stated.

''You really are pathetic.'' Panther went on. ''You hurt so many people...and you took so much from your students, like Shiho and me...''

Shadow Kamoshida whimpered ''N-no, please...it wasn't...please forgive me!''

Panther's eyes narrowed and she summoned Carmen, glowering at him. The evil king continued to cower, inching away from her. ''Isn't what they told you? Before you took everything from them...I'll never forgive you!''

He screamed as a burst of fire suddenly came rather close to his head. This seemed to really bring out the fact that he had no way out because he slumped and tossed the crown to them. ''Just take it...go ahead, finish me off.''

''...Panther, what do you want to do?'' Mona asked, believing that she should make the call here.

The girl responded after almost a minute ''If we finish him off, he'll die. He won't ever face up to his actions. I won't do it.''

The cat seemed relieved ''You're kind.''

So did Joker ''Yeah, you know this isn't worth it, right? Whatever his character, we shouldn't be the ones to decide who lives or not. We did what we came for.''

Panther hummed in agreement ''Let's go.''

''T-the palace...it will fade...'' Shadow Kamoshida uttered. ''...what do I do?''

''Confess your sins.'' Joker said simply. ''A lot of the students are still suffering because of you. Tell them the truth.''

''...All right...'' He faded away in motes of light.

* * *

Trouble started just as they left the throne room, the area began to shake and cracks became visible on the walls.

''What's going on?!'' Panther cried.

''The palace is collapsing!'' Mona replied. ''We took the treasure and the ruler's disappeared. This was bound to happen.''

''Wait, you knew?!'' She exclaimed.

''Why didn't you tell us before?!'' Skull demanded.

''I'm telling you now. Let's get out of here!''

The teens needed no further prompting, quickly running down the hall to find the quickest way out. They had to endeavor to dodge various debris and rubble that almost came close.

Just as they reached the exit, Mona turned into his real world form to dodge a piece of rubble that would have hit him if he hadn't moved. The cat quickly scampered up Joker's shoulder as Skull looked up at him.

''Hey, no fair you jerk!'' He grunted as the cat merely meowed in response. ''Well-ah!''

The three turned back in surprise to find falling down. ''Skull!'' Panther exclaimed.

''It's fine...'' He pulled himself up. ''...old injury, come on, we're almost there!''

* * *

They were quick to use the navigator to get back to the real world after leaving the palace. Which was a good thing too, because after the day they had, the quartet was rather tired to say the least.

''So...that did it, right?'' Ryuji asked, leaning against a wall.

''Yeah...'' Morgana got back in Namine's bag as the girl took a seat nearby. ''...we've got the treasure. So Kamoshida should change.''

''Wait, should?!'' Ryuji frowned. ''I thought you knew this stuff!''

''Not everything! This is a first for me too!'' The cat said defensively. ''We just have to wait and see...''

''Aw man...if this doesn't work, me and Mishima are expelled...''

''Let's just wait and see.'' Ann advised. ''You said it takes days for the change to kick in, right, Morgana?''

''Right, Lady Ann. It's okay, we pulled it off.''

''Let's try and hope for the best now.'' Namine remarked. ''Judging by the shadow's reaction, I think we really did have some effect. I'm sure all our effort would pay off.''

''I hope you're right...'' Ryuji trailed off.

''Try not to worry, Ryuji.'' Morgana put in. ''We've done what we set out to do and we gave it our best, now we just to wait and see.''

* * *

 _Well, that's that._

 _So how as it? Okay, I hope. The next one will have the aftermath and as mentioned before, parts of my original twists to the story. Just to clarify, that incident Namine and Arsene talked about back when he was awakened? That's part of it. It will be explained next chapter. Let's just say it will have more significance down the line._

 _Notes:_

 _-I admit, I'm kind of confused. For a while, I was under the impression persona fusion was unlocked when you get Caroline and Justine's confidant in Madarame's arc. So I sort of implemented that here. It lead to me forgetting about it all together until I started planning the boss fight. I don't know how actually right that was but I honestly couldn't fit them well enough in this arc. I mean it takes them time to even start warming up to the main character. It would just seem weird if I kicked things off right way._

 _-I will fully admit that I'm not quite sure I'm going to stick to everything canon about the Velvet room because there's something I want to try, I'm just not sure if I can make it work. In general, I'm not going to stick to canon all the time but I do want to get the characters right._

 _Feedback will very appreciated and I hope you stick with this story._

 _Confidants: Sakamoto Ryuji: Chariot (Rank 1)_

 _Takamaki Ann: Lovers (Rank 1)_

 _Morgana Magician (Rank 2)_

 _Takemi Tae: Death (Rank 1)_


	7. Chapter 7

_Well, this came out sooner than I expected but then again, I've been looking forward to working on it. Here we go._

* * *

The calling card had caused even more of a stir than the thieves imagined. It sowed confusion among the school for one thing but the people's opinions seemed to be parted into one of three.

One would be believing in Kamoshida and thinking that the card was some card of prank. Two (this side had to deal with the teacher more) was people who began to see that others were doing something about the teachers. The last group was just more or less confused, unsure what to make of this.

''Yeah, he's a real stand up guy.'' Morgana said sarcastically before rolling his eyes. He and Namine were on their way back from school, happening to overhear about a debate about the card. ''What do they even see in him anyway?''

The cat looked back at Namine to see that she was looking up a new text on her phone. He peered his head out of the bag to try and see. ''...Ryuji's still worried?''

''I think he just wants some clear answers. The waiting's getting to him.'' The girl returned before beginning to respond to the text.

Morgana huffed ''I told him there's no helping it. Besides, it wasn't like all our efforts back there were pointless.''

That she could certainly agree to. A few days passed since they took the treasure and Kamoshida hadn't shown up at school, which, according to Ann and Ryuji was a first for the man.

''They're probably really looking forward to seeing confess too.'' Namine added.

Morgana hummed in agreement ''How about you?''

''I'd be lying if I said I wasn't raring for something to change but I can wait. You've really helped us out before so if you think everything's fine, I'll take your word for it.''

''Thanks, Namine!'' The cat beamed.

* * *

It didn't take long to find that Sojiro had been right. There was a part time job offer in the mall for a job at a supermarket. The owner had been pleased and relieved in equal measures to have it taken. He hired Namine once they ironed out a few details. The weekend began and the group went out together for a change of atmosphere, visiting a famous restaurant they heard about at school. Ryuji and Ann also took to showing Namine and Morgana around the city, particularly hanging out in spots they liked.

All in all, things had taken a turn for peaceful...

* * *

Ryuji and Ann had approached the school gate upon noticing Morgana there. ''Hey, what're you doing here? I thought you'd be with Namine.''

''I slept in.'' The cat admitted, suspecting that the girl had been quiet on purpose not to wake him up. ''It was way too boring to stay back in the cafe though.''

''School's not exactly a barrel of laughs you know.'' Ryuji deadpanned.

''You got that right.'' Ann concurred. ''People are still trying to figure out the calling cards. It sounds like some are glad Kamoshida hasn't been around for the last few days.''

''After what we've seen, I don't blame them at all.'' Morgana remarked, thinking back to the palace.

''So hey, how's Suzui?'' Ryuji inquired.

Ann couldn't contain her smile at this ''She woke up really late before yesterday.''

''Awesome!''

''Yeah, always nice to hear some good news!''

Ann hummed in agreement ''She was still out of it when I visited but I'm going to see her again after school.''

Morgana had a thought ''Oh, Lady Ann, you can always tell her when Kamoshida tells the truth...or even better just show her!''

''I was going to tell but showing her? Now there's an idea.'' The girl looked pensive. ''Bringing up the situation can't be easy though...''

''I hate to be blunt but I think you might have to.'' The cat stated. ''Avoiding it won't be any good for Shiho either, she'll feel better about it in the long run.''

''That's true, guess I'll play it by the ear and see what happens for now...''

* * *

Namine was heading to the library to return a book she borrowed. She almost missed someone coming down the nearby stairs at the same time and so barely avoiding a collision with her.

''I'm sorry...'' The new voice paused. ''...Hyakuya-san?''

The girl blinked at the somewhat familiar voice and saw that it was Haru ''Hey, Okumura-senpai. No harm done, guess I was kind of distracted too.''

The older girl smiled back ''So how have you been? I've heard some awful talk about you. I thought about it but I can't really bring myself to believe any of it.''

''Thanks for that. Anyway, rumors are rumors, nothing I can do about them.'' Namine shrugged.

''You're certainly taking it better than I would have...''

''Well...'' Namine was distracted when she saw what was in the bag Haru was carrying. ''...are those seeds?''

''Right. I was thinking of planting them in the pots at the roof but I heard no one's allowed up there so I'll be putting them away.'' Haru glanced back at the stairs. ''I can understand why though. After what happened to that poor girl...I'm so glad someone made it in time to stop her.''

''Yeah...I think we all are.'' Namine played along, she didn't exactly feel like telling more about this now. It would feel like bragging and she wasn't fully sure the girl would believe her anyway. ''So you must be good at gardening. If we're going by the pots on the roof, you've got green thumbs.''

''Oh, I don't know about that.'' Haru said bashfully. ''I just enjoy it.''

Namine had an idea ''Hey, can you teach me about that?'' At Haru's surprised look, she explained. ''I tried with a few friends years ago but we wound up stopping. It was interesting I guess we didn't have the patience for it back then. I want to see if I can get back into the spirit of things.''

''Well then, I'd be happy to.'' Haru returned.

''Thanks!''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Empress Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

The girl went back to class, coming across Ryuji and Ann along the way. Their arrival at the intended destination brought a surprise forth. It came in the form of a man and woman who Ann recognized as Shiho's parents, Suzui Taishi and Maika.

Ann greeted them and introduced her friends before going to ask ''Is everything okay?''

''Oh yes, not to worry, Ann-chan.'' Maika reassured. ''It's just that after what we've heard, we agreed that there was something we needed to do.''

''Which is?''

Maika looked at Namine ''We're here to thank you, Hyakuya-chan.''

The girl expression made it clear that she wasn't expecting that. Taishi then took over the conversation ''Yeah, we failed our daughter. I'm ashamed to say that we never understood how she truly felt. We could have prevented this if we hadn't. I was only grateful that someone had been able to step in that day and reach out to her. We can't thank you enough.''

''Right.'' Maika agreed, closing her eyes for a moment. ''I don't want to think of what could have happened otherwise...I was so moved to learn how hard you tried to help her. You saved our little girl's life and that means so much more than I can put in words.'' The two bowed then, leaving Namine embarrassed.

''W-wait, please...You don't have to do that...'' The girl stated. ''...I just did the right thing, it was for the best. Your daughter deserved it. Everything's fine.''

The five listeners smiled at Namine as she shuffled a foot, feeling bashful due to this exchange.

''Hey, it's about time someone besides us says it.'' Ryuji smirked while Ann nodded. Both were still annoyed by the fact, especially since the school appeared more to intent to quash the incident.

It wasn't until then that Taishi noticed the attention they wound up garnering. Most of the speakers were too far away but he could pick up some of what was said ''Why do they look so...wary?''

'Idiocy.' A disgruntled Carmen decided.

''Yup, long story short, let's just say Namine didn't have the best rep when she came here. Those guys are just happy to judge her on that.'' Ann informed.

''Well, that seems completely unfair.''

''Yeah, too bad they just believe what they want to.''

''It's ridiculous to simply concentrate on one detail and ignore everything else.'' Maika stated. ''I'll try to see if there's anything to be done about this attitude. Don't mind them, Hyakuya-chan. We know the truth.''

''Right, thank you.'' Namine returned.

* * *

Ryuji sat near a staircase. He wanted to get back to training like he did when he used to run track. But it wasn't because he wanted to get back on the team, no, he knew that he couldn't return to being the athlete he used to be after all that happened.

It was more because he felt bad after his leg seized up in the palace, he wanted to get stronger. He had asked Namine if she wanted to join him, only to be pleasantly surprised when she expressed genuine interest in the suggestion.

''So you think those guys busted him for something?'' The voice brought his attention to a pair of students nearby.

''Makes sense, doesn't it? I mean the guy hasn't been seen for a while now. I even heard that he might be quitting.''

''No way! Come on, it's Kamoshida-sensei, it couldn't be this bad...''

Ryuji rolled his eyes, tuning out the rest of the talk. It was interesting to see how much of a reaction the calling card caused. He found it irritating to hear people defend Kamoshida and there was quite a number who still trusted him, though for the life of him, the boy couldn't see why.

Ryuji perked up as he noticed Namine approaching and made to join her. ''Hey, you ready?''

''Yup, I guess you're excited, huh?''

''Heh, I guess so. I was just thinking about how much of a reaction the calling card caused. I can't wait to see what they all do when Kamoshida confesses.'' The boy admitted.

Namine gave a bemused look, it was good to learn that the boy wasn't as worried as he was after they left the palace. They had made it a point to remind him when they could that the best they can do now would be to keep living their lives and wait.

The two headed to a somewhat big, secluded area of the school grounds. Namine looked on curiously ''So this is where you used to train?''

''Yeah...been a while since I came here. It doesn't seem like much but it works great when we needed it too.'' Ryuji stretched. ''Okay, let's start with warms up...''

Just as the two were about to finish a few minutes later, they were found by a few teen boys clad in their sport uniforms.

''I thought I was seeing things but it really was Sakamoto...'' One of them said. ''...you've got a lot of nerve coming back here.''

Ryuji tensed ''Nakaoka...''

Another boy scoffed ''He's got the transfer student with him too. Looks like his rep is just as good as the company he keeps.''

Namine ignored the veiled jab even as Ryuji bristled, speaking before the boy could ''You're the members of the track team then?''

''That's right.'' Nakaoka returned. ''It's _former_ track team though, thanks to this guy. Though I'd imagine you probably know the story by now.''

The second boy then spoke, glaring daggers at Ryuji even as he addressed Namine ''That's why we don't want this guy here, he ruined everything! All our efforts were ruined just because he couldn't control his temper!''

''It wasn't like that, Takeichi, I...'' Ryuji started to say.

''He's telling how it is, Sakamoto!'' The third boy agreed. ''You think any of us had it easy? No, we've all suffered! We put up with Kamoshida because the track team was important to us, and you just blew everything. How dare you even show your face here?''

''Do you guys even know the whole story?'' The boys looked at Namine as she went on. ''Ryuji's just as much of a victim as any of you. He cares about the team just the same. It wasn't his fault, he was provoked...''

''Why are you defending him anyway?'' Takeichi cut in. ''We thought we could count on him but look how well that went...''

''He's my friend.'' The girl interrupted right back, her glare surprising them. ''I don't need any other reason. You guys keep talking about putting up with it. That's no good in the long run. Did you ever try doing something against Kamoshida? Did you ever try to listen to what Ryuji had to say?''

''It's easy for you to talk! You don't know what it was like!''

''You're not the only ones who've had to deal with him. That's one of the reasons why we wanted to change things around here. You said you thought you could count on Ryuji, shouldn't that kind of support be mutual?'' Namine retorted. ''This place doesn't belong to any of you, we're free to use it. Come on, Ryuji, we've wasted enough time here.''

The boy followed her, seeming stunned. ''You just...''

''Don't think too much of it. I stand for my friends, that's all.''

He started to grin ''Thanks a lot, Namine.''

''Anytime.''

* * *

A while later, Namine went on a walk with Morgana around Yongen-jaya, both seemingly content with taking in the sights.

''It kind of feels strange to take it so easy after what we've been through.'' The cat mused.

''I'd imagine...'' Namine paused as a thought occured to her. ''...oh hey, didn't you say taking the treasure could help with your situation? How'd that go?''

''No good, but I didn't expect it to be so easy...'' The cat admitted. ''...I think there's more to it but I'll explain once things settle down.''

''If you say so...''

Morgana decided to change the subject ''So why are we going back to the cafe already? I'd say it's kind of early.''

''Maybe, but I'm not sure when Sakura-san would decide to close up. I don't want to risk forcing him to wait for me.'' Namine admitted.

''I see, that's considerate of you.''

The two arrived at Leblanc moments later, finding Sojiro at the counter and Takemi on a seat nearby. ''Oh hey, you're back. Any luck with the job?''

''Yup, I found one around where you said. I had to sort out a few things out but I basically start tomorrow.''

''Good to hear.'' The barista returned, seeing her greet Takemi politely, picking up on their familiarity from the exchange. ''Oh, you know each other?''

''Yeah, she came to the clinic because...'' Takemi was distracted as she noticed Namine giving her a pleading look which made her re-think her words. ''...she just found it by chance and I thought to examine her since she looks underweight.''

''You don't say?'' Sojiro glanced at his charge, almost bemused now. ''So you were taking a diet that went too far or something?''

''Ah, let's just say it was out of my control...'' Namine offered. ''...did you want some help?''

''Nah, everything's taken care of.'' He returned. ''You should go and rest up.''

''Right...''

* * *

Morgana hopped to Namine's bed, looking up at the girl. That conversation left him more than a little confused and he decided to fish for information. ''I get the feeling they both figured out you were keeping something.''

''Yeah? Well, I'm just glad they left it alone.''

''So...mind if I ask then? What's going on?'' Morgana tilted his head.

''That's...'' Namine hesitated.

''It's just...I noticed something was strange with you when I started teaching you guys about the metaverse.'' The cat went on, deciding to explain his reasoning. ''I figured it was that you didn't like our plans back then but I'm not so sure now.''

The girl didn't respond and Morgana didn't want to pressure her. He was about to state that he'd be willing to listen when she wanted to but Arsene's following words put his thoughts to a halt.

'Perhaps you should tell him, Namine.' The persona remarked. 'There's no harm and it would do you well to find an understanding presence.'

Namine responded after almost a minute, seemingly considering this. ''I guess so...'' She leaned back against the wall. ''...You're right in a sense, Morgana. I think it might be that our recent experiences made me remember. It's...kind of a long story.''

''I'm all ears.'' The cat assured.

Namine let out a breath before she started to explain ''Two years ago...we were coming back from a school trip. It wound up with us getting caught in a robbery.'' Morgana's eyes widened at this. ''We were just passing a bank and the bus driver was slowing down because he wanted to get more gas from the station nearby. The next thing we knew, this gang was crashing in and keeping us at gun point while forcing us to get off. It looked like the police was still on the way, the robbers were still trying to get away with as much as they could.''

''Didn't the police help?''

''That would be how it should have gone, right? Only...I think that's when everything really went to hell.'' Namine stated. ''It all started out so fast...I'm still not sure how it started exactly. One of the robbers fired a round and it hurt some of the police, one of the gang's bosses started to get really mad. He said he'd start to kill us off if they didn't follow their demands. A few of the police officers started to play along, hearing them out. Supposedly, they were pressured into taking different measures. But then that guy tossed out some kind of explosive device when he saw the officers who tried sneaking in to help us. Then he had one of his cronies follow on his threat...they killed a few of the bank's workers and threatened to do more if they didn't get more money.''

Morgana was dumbfounded to say the least. How in the world did they escape this situation? ''What happened then?''

''We had no choice but to wait while they prepared the ransom money.'' The girl recalled. ''But then an hour passed and he decided to follow on the threat when the money the police could get wasn't enough. He started firing again and...'' Namine let out a breath. ''...I honestly have some trouble remembering this part. I saw him targeting a pair of siblings who were there with their parents. I think that's just when I moved. I grabbed one of the money cases they had nearby and I knocked the guy out.''

''Wait, what?!''

''Yeah, I think that was the common reaction...'' Namine remarked, shaking her head. ''...I wasn't even thinking, really. It's just that...seeing everyone in danger because of that greedy bastard was infuriating and seeing those kids so scared...I couldn't take it. I knew them, Morgana, I used to baby sit and play with them. A family friend made sure I knew to defend myself so I put everything I learned into use back then. I guess it was kind of effective...those guys were pretty shocked. But then it just got worse when they crowded me. One of them got to blindside me and they attacked right back. I was only told what happened after that, the attack left me in a coma for over a year.''

Morgana's jaw dropped ''That's...that's just...''

''Crazy? Reckless?'' Namine offered. ''Take your pick, I've heard plenty more.''

''No, I mean...yeah it was...'' The cat amended. ''...but it was also so brave. Namine, you risked your life to save those people. It's amazing!''

The girl laughed sheepishly ''Well, it's nothing so special. I just sort of reacted, I guess...I knew I had to do something...''

'While your modesty is appreciated, he's right. That was impressive.' Zorro stated. 'But you said you were told what happened then, yes? How did this end?''

''Ah, apparently what I did wound up inspiring everyone to move.'' Namine admitted. ''They got to jump the gang and take plenty of their weapons, it was a bit of an uphill battle. Some stayed back to protect the younger ones and everyone else made sure to fight back. It got the police enough time to act and they got to break in and arrest the robbers.''

''Whoa...'' Morgana trailed off. ''...wait, so even after what you did, people in your hometown actually believed that fake assault case?''

''As you can tell...'' Namine shrugged. Though she tried to sound nonchalant, he could see that the fact had hurt.

''But that's...'' Morgana scowled, he couldn't think of a word to describe how wrong this was. He shook his head and continued ''...lousy morons...Things make a whole lot of sense now. I can see why you would've had problems with my plan now...sorry...''

Namine shook her head ''You gave us a choice, silly. I agreed to help, that's all. I couldn't stand back and do nothing.''

''So are you...okay with Arsene being your persona?''

''Yeah...'' Namine closed her eyes for a moment. ''...it might have bothered me more if things had turned out differently. But the situation's completely different. Truth is, Arsene opened my eyes. I feel free...like I see things in a new and much better way now. I've accepted him and he's an important partner.''

'Well, well, I'm quite flattered.' The aforementioned persona's words had the two sharing amused looks.

''Anyway, I know we'd never sink to that despicable level.'' Namine went on. ''I think it just goes to show. Things aren't always black and white, there's two sides to every story.''

''You actually have a point there.'' Morgana agreed, smiling. The cat was convinced, this girl was a hero. He now understood that even if she didn't like being a thief, she had done it to help them. He would never understand how people condemn her. ''You're not just strong but kind as well, Namine. I think that kindness is a power by itself.''

* * *

The days passed on a similarly peaceful note and soon May 2nd, the day of the board meeting, had arrived. Principal Kobayakawa had called for an assembly and the school headed out to its location.

''Geez, what's this all about?''

''I don't know, it feels like a waste...''

''I bet it's about what happened on the roof. We don't need to be told not to commit suicide.''

Ryuji spared the speaker student a disdainful look as the two students nearby him seemed to agree ''Sheesh, do they have to talk like that?''

''Yeah, I know,'' Morgana agreed. ''They could definitely stand to be a little more tactful. This isn't something they should treat lightly.''

''Anyway,'' Namine moved the talk on. ''Wasn't there something you wanted to say before we heard the announcement, Ann?''

''Oh yeah,'' the blonde acknowledged. ''I'm going to visit Shiho after school's over. You want to come with me?''

''Sure thing.''

The girl smiled, looking at the front of the hall with the others when the principal stepped up to the podium.

The man's words proved the rising suspicions true. The assembly's purpose did have to do with the recent events at Shujin. He seemed to be trying to keep things calm all around but before he could get far, the hall's door suddenly flew open, revealing none other than...

''Kamoshida-sensei?'' The principal blurted, seeming bewildered.

He wasn't the only one. The teacher had clearly run a long way, as he was panting near the entrance. But more than that, his usual smug air was gone. He just seemed tired and defeated even.

''I...I have been reborn...'' He uttered before walking to the podium.

''Just what is this about?'' Kobayakawa demanded.

''There is something I must say.'' Kamoshida looked back to the rest of the observers. ''I am a despicable man. I...I've gone through such lengths...great lengths to get what I want...''

''Eh?''

''What's he talking about?''

''I hurt students to get my way, I abused and harrassed them. The track team's dissolution was because of my plans. I started it out on purpose. I-I thought it was the only way for me to stay in the lime light, I wanted all the fame so I goaded Sakamoto-san into attacking me.'' He lowered his head. ''I tormented my students so much...I am the reason Suzui Shiho tried to kill herself.'' This elicited shock from everyone who didn't know. ''I used her to force myself on her friend Takamaki-san...''

''Kamoshida-sensei!'' Principal Kobayakawa tried to intervene, both missing the crowd's growing surprise and disgust.

Kamoshida didn't seem to hear him ''...I feel so guilty. I resign as your teacher. I'm so sorry. I will take my own life to pay...''

''Don't run away!'' Ann's voice brought attention to the girl as she stepped up. ''Killing yourself won't change anything, it definitely won't make up for all the things you've done. You've got to own up to them!''

''Damn straight!'' Ryuji agreed. ''You're barely even getting started, you bastard! You not only tried to force Ann in a relationship with you, you messed the entire volleyball team really badly. Ann just played along for Suzui's sake. You had Namine's record spread out even before she started school. You're the one who slandered her even after she saved Suzui, you know she did!''

''That's right...'' Kamoshida's shoulders sagged. ''...it was all just for the fame and attention, to make sure Hyakuya-san won't rebel. I made sure the rumors about her would spread out quickly. I wanted to make sure she didn't get in the way...I can't apologize enough...'' He fell to his knees. ''...I'm so sorry...''

The crowd began talking among themselves, barely paying attention as a couple of the teachers took Kamoshida away as one of them called the police. The activity was rising as everyone realized that the calling card and the meaning behind it was all completely real.

''It worked!'' Morgana beamed. ''I knew there was nothing to worry about!''

Ryuji exhaled. ''...Man hearing him talk like that...he thought he had the right to mess with our lives because he was scared? Asshole.''

''Takamaki-san?'' The four friends turned to find some students approaching the girl. ''We're so sorry...''

''Yeah, you were just being there for your friend and we treated you that badly.'' Another added. ''It must have been so hard...''

''We just kept our heads down to avoid anymore trouble.'' Mishima admitted, shamefaced.

''We're so sorry!''

''It's okay...'' Ann seemed a bit uncomfortable. ''...all I care about now is that he told the truth and that Shiho's going to be okay.''

''Sakamoto...'' Ryuji was surprised to see some of the track team approach him. ''...we're sorry too. I never knew Kamoshida set you up to fall.''

''Yeah, Hyakuya was right. We should have tried to hear your side of the story.'' Another boy added.

''Ah, don't worry about it.'' Ryuji grinned. ''That stuff doesn't matter now.''

''Still...''

''Seriously, it's fine, guys. Kamoshida's going to get what he deserves now.''

Namine and Morgana exchanged looks and smiled, pleased at the development. After all that happened, their friends certainly deserved those apologies.

''Hyakuya-san...'' The girl blinked and looked back at Mishima, noticing how a number of the students were turning her way. ''...I'm really sorry. You were so nice and we still just played along to Kamoshida's wishes...''

''Yeah, I really have a hard time seeing you as the criminal you were made out to be.'' A girl added. ''That scumbag was screwing with you too, I never thought things were like this...''

''Same. Besides, the school set everything up in his favor. It's like none of the staff even cared that she helped Suzui. The least they could have done was thank her.'' Another student remarked.

''Yeah, they just hushed everything up...and we probably made it all worse. We're really sorry!'' A third student remarked.

''It's all right.'' Namine returned. ''Everything's changing for the better and the truth's out for all to know. That's good enough for me.''

Morgana's grin widened, feeling that this couldn't have turned out better. ''It's about time.''

* * *

 _And I'll cut off here._

 _Well, there you have it. The robbery incident is part of the twist I have planned for the story. I hope what I mentioned before about it makes sense now. It comes back into light again later, mostly because there were some consequences Namine doesn't know about and those come into play later._

 _I don't know if this helps but I think it needs to be said. Namine's looking at the bigger picture. Even when she wasn't comfortable with being a thief, with the way things were, it was for the best. She can't stand the gang from that day and will never turn out like they did. As will be said later, for Namine, being a phantom thief is about helping others. She's the sort who would have a very hard time turning away when the people she cares about are in trouble._

 _I kept debating how much I should put in this chapter but this seems all right. Next chapter will have more of the aftermath of this arc, like Ann and Namine telling Shiho about Kamoshida confessing to everything._

 _Confidants: Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot, Rank 2)_

 _Morgana (Magician, Rank 2)_

 _Tae Takemi (Death, Rank 2)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress, Rank 1)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers, Rank 1)_


	8. Chapter 8

_Okay, this took longer than I would have liked but I'm getting more and more busy lately so I can't guarantee when I can update any story. I'll try to make sure it won't be too long though._

 _Anyways, thanks to nico2411 for the review. Here we go!_

* * *

''Wow...'' An amazed Shiho breathed as she watched the video Ann recorded of the rally. She hadn't been sure what to think when her friend explained things but Kamoshida really was remorseful.

One thing struck her as odd though.

''Ann-chan, why does the video cut off suddenly?''

''Ah...'' Ann looked sheepish. ''...he really pissed me off so I stepped in. Guess I forgot about the whole thing in the middle of that.''

''We can fill you in anyway,'' Namine stated. She and Ann proceeded to explain what happened after she and Ryuji intervened as Kamoshida began contemplating suicide.

''I see...'' Shiho let out.

It had been almost an hour since the girls arrived at the Suzui residence and they were quick to meet up with Shiho. The girl was well on her way to recovery but it was obvious that she needed time to come to terms with everything.

Shiho had been surprised but happy to see the girls and she had been sure to thank Namine for stopping her that day. Soon she was catching up with the girls and the three fell into chatting a minute later.

''So those phantom thieves made him confess to everything. I wonder how...'' Shiho trailed off.

Ann's expression seemed a little awkward. A part of her wanted to tell Shiho everything but she wasn't sure it was a good idea.

''So does everyone, I think the important part is that the truth is out in the open.'' Namine stated.

''That's right...'' Shiho agreed. ''...um, would it be strange if I said the calling card sounds a little off? It's almost forced in a way.'' She blinked as Namine started giggling at this. ''Hyakuya-chan?''

''S-sorry, I was just thinking...'' Namine looked from her to Ann and back. ''...you two are definitely alike. Ann said something like that too.''

''Ah...''

''Hey, we just tell it like it is.'' Ann grinned and Shiho looked amused. ''You know, the first time we met...''

* * *

''Thanks, Namine.'' Ann smiled as the two left for home. ''I'm happy you came. Shiho was really glad she got to see you.''

''Well, I'm glad I got to it too. She's a great girl.'' The latter returned.

Ann hummed in agreement ''It was so good to hear she was recovering. Things were bad for a while but I'm so glad you were there. I don't want to think what it'd be like otherwise.''

''Hey, let's not stress on the what-ifs. I just did what was right, anyone could have done it.''

The blonde smiled to herself. This was just another reason she liked Namine. The girl never bragged about her actions, remembering to be modest. That was very nice.

''Ryuji told me how you wound up coming to the city. It sucks that they all turned on you like that but it's great that we met you. Just know that you'll never have to worry about any of us doing something so stupid.''

Namine smiled ''I know. Thanks, Ann.''

* * *

The next day after school, the thieves went to the restaurant that sold the nostalgic steak they heard about in Shujin as per Ryuji's suggestion. While they had been troubled and mostly impatient as they waited for Kamoshida's change of heart, the over all mood now was one of happiness.

They stopped at Leblanc after that to let Namine pick up a few things she had forgotten before they went to the bath house. Ann and Ryuji paused to take the cafe in, this being their first time over.

''You know, I kinda like this place.'' Ryuji admitted.

''Me too, the coffee smells great.'' Ann remarked, pausing as they noticed Sojiro coming back to the counter.

''So you're the kid's friends, huh?'' The man paused. ''Can I get you anything?''

''Maybe another time, sorry. We're actually on our way somewhere.'' Ann admitted.

''Ah, gotcha. I've been hearing a few things from Namine, but it'd be nice to learn from a new perspective. What do you think of her?'' Sojiro inquired.

''She's a good friend who really came through for us when we needed it most.'' Ryuji replied easily.

Ann nodded to this ''She's just had a spot of bad luck and it stuck to her. It doesn't help that the school labeled her before she even got started. I know what that's like. She's strong and kind and she's really turning things around.''

''That's good to know.''

''So you two went to Suzui's place, right? Did Namine clear things up?'' Ryuji wondered.

''Yeah, it was great, actually.'' Ann smiled as she thought of the previous day.

A curious Sojiro raised an eye ''Did something happen?''

The two blonds looked at him before Ann spoke ''Didn't she tell you? Well, the thing is...''

It quickly became clear to them that the man was unaware of some of the recent events. He knew the gist about Kamoshida, partly he had questioned Namine after the news about the former teacher got out. Since the girl had mentioned a little before, he wasn't too surprised.

If anything, learning about how bad things had gone at Shujin left him disgusted and impressed. Disgusted because of the administration and naturally Kamoshida and impressed because of Namine, he hadn't realized how involved the girl was before talking to her friends. Sojiro chalked this up as another reason he was glad to be revising his judgement of the girl.

* * *

Ann let out a sigh, enjoying the feeling of the warm water ''This is so good...I haven't done this in a while.''

''Same...'' Namine trailed off. ''...it's almost like that hot spring we used to visit.''

''You actually had something like that near your hometown?''

''Kind of, it's a bit of a hassle to reach but then you find that the effort was worth it. It's a beautiful spot. We found out about it when we went camping a few years ago.'' Namine recalled.

''Lucky...'' Ann mused. ''...so I found the perfect place to celebrate our success.''

''Really?''

''Yup, Shiho and I were planning to go sometime. This'll be perfect. You're selling our big find tomorrow, right?''

''Mmhm, Ryuji's taking us to the place where he found that model. I figure we can at least ask the owner to if he'd sell it for a start.''

''I really hope that works. We've got to do something to celebrate...this is looking great already.'' Ann beamed.

* * *

As agreed, the next day Ryuji took Namine and Morgana to the airsoft shop where he found the model guns, Untouchable.

''So this is the place, huh?'' Morgana looked around curiously.

A man sat near the register, engrossed in a newspaper. He looked up as he heard the new arrivals.

''Hm? Oh, it's you again...'' He grunted, looking at Ryuji. ''...if you're after another model, you better not complain like last time.''

The blond bristled ''Of course I was going to! Those things were really expensive!''

''You're getting quality, kid, that never comes cheap. Deal with it.''

Ryuji looked annoyed ''Gah, no wonder you don't get much people with this kind of attitude!''

''Hey, knock it off! We can't make a deal with him if you get on his nerves!'' Morgana hissed.

Namine tilted her head a bit ''That explains the models...those are really good. A Colt Python, a Desert Eagle and...whoa, he's even got an Ithaca...''

The man raised an eye, even as her friends looked at her with surprise ''Seems like you know your stuff, kid...''

''You like guns or something, Namine?'' Ryuji wondered.

''No, it's just...I'd have to be an idiot not to pick up some of what Grandpa Nakamura told us all those times.'' She muttered before raising her voice. ''A family friend helped me learn self-defense. He also insisted that my friends learn as much as possible about guns. He had quite a few since he picked them when he was in the military, they're all really well taken care of. He says it'd be a waste otherwise.''

Morgana blinked, now that he looked back, he did notice that Namine seemed very used to her model gun. He just never remembered to ask why. That definitely explained it.

''Sounds like a real veteran there.'' The shop owner mused. ''Still, nice to see someone who knows what they're dealing with. You here for a model, kid?''

''No, we're hoping to ask for something else...ah...'' Namine paused, remembering she didn't know his name.

He caught on ''It's Iwai. Well, what is it?''

Namine took out the medal which turned out to be Kamoshida's treasure ''Could you sell this for us?''

Iwai looked intrigued ''Where'd you find something like that?''

''Does it matter?'' Ryuji grunted. ''Can you sell it or not?''

The man seemed a little irritated at his attitude. Noticing this, Namine intervened ''To spare you the details, we had to deal with a real lowlife who caused plenty of trouble. This was something we picked up when all was said and done. It's probably a fake and all but we figure selling is be more useful than throwing it away, right?''

Ryuji and Morgana were surprised by the phrasing but it really did fit, all things considered.

''Can't argue with that.'' Iwai began to examine the item. ''So...unlike this kid, you don't seem hotheaded, was he that bad?''

''He was a self-righteous, egoistic bastard.'' Namine said flatly. ''Isn't that enough?''

Iwai smirked, deciding to play along and leave it at that ''...Sure is. So the best thing I can do with this is 30,000 yen. Sound good?''

* * *

''Good going, Namine. That was some quick thinking.'' Morgana praised.

''Ah, it was mostly just breaking down the truth. I had to try something.'' The girl shrugged.

''Yeah, nice timing, Ryuji would have probably gotten us kicked out.'' The cat stated, leaving the boy to cringe.

''Sorry...what're you doing anyway?'' He asked, moving to look over Namine's shoulder as the girl was typing on her phone.

''I just told Ann. She says she's going to look up a reservation at some place called the Wilton Hotel.''

''For real? Damn...'' Ryuji trailed off.

Morgana tilted his head ''You know about it?''

''Yeah, I used to pass it every once in a while. It's real high class and all but I guess we get to pull it off with that kind of money.'' Ryuji grinned. ''Can't wait!''

Ann managed to find a reservation for the day after tomorrow so the celebration of the quartet's success was set.

* * *

The next day passed somewhat slower and less eventful than the previous one. At Mid-day, Namine was helping Sojiro with Leblanc.

Sojiro poked his head in the kitchen, blinking when he saw the newly cleaned dishes ''Oh, you're already done?''

''Yeah, I took the trash out too. Did you need help with anything else?''

''Nah, everything's fine. Thanks, I'll let you off. You start your job in a couple of hours, right?'' He clarified, earning a nod from her.

The two turned to the door as it opened, seeing a woman with grey hair and mauve eyes in a black suit make her way in. She took a seat ''I'll have the house blend, please.''

''Coming right up.'' Sojiro began preparing coffee.

The woman glanced at Namine, not missing the girl's apron ''...I have to say, I'm surprised this place can get a part-timer.''

''Oh, it's not like that. Sakura-san's doing me a big favor so I offered to help in return.''

''I see...'' The three glanced at the TV at the sound of a tune, seeing a reporter stop before Shujin and begin talking about recent events at the school. ''...honestly, first the mental shutdowns and now this...where'd this even come from?''

''People covered up for Kamoshida for a while.'' She looked at Namine in surprise.

''And you know this because...?''

''I go to Shujin.'' The girl informed, taking her apron off and putting it away. ''My friends and I dealt with him too. The students were too scared to face up to him but he was just too strong. Things just went from bad to worse, the news definitely have that part right.''

''I see...I never imagined it was that bad...'' The woman mused.

''You seem interested, is there a particular reason?'' Namine asked.

''My little sister is the school's student council president.'' She admitted. ''Hearing about this is certainly...worrying. I've been tasked to handle this case. Can you tell me anything you know?''

Namine hadn't expected that but she saw no reason not to help her ''Erm, sure...are you a detective or something?''

''I'm a prosecutor.'' She corrected. ''My name is Nijima Sae.''

''Oh, I'm Hyakuya Namine.'' The girl returned. ''I'm not sure where to start so ask away, Nijima-san.''

* * *

Other than that, the day passed more or less uneventfully. Ann had a shoot in Odaiba while Ryuji went to look for a gym to keep up training. Namine and Morgana headed off to the supermarket and the former went through her first day at the part-time job with relatively little trouble.

It was as they were on their way back to Leblanc that the two happened to notice a few gathered around a man who appeared to be in the middle of a speech. The man had black hair and dark grey eyes, wearing a black business suit with a green sash.

Morgana spoke once the man finished ''...I don't get why they seem this bored. It sounds like the stuff he was saying was good.''

''Mmhm, he seemed real passionate too.'' Namine mused.

A man who had also been listening to the speech overheard her ''You're new around these parts, huh?''

The girl gave a curious look but nodded ''I was just thinking...it sounded like people expected this. Does he come here a lot?''

''Yeah, it's been years now. That guy was Toranosuke Yoshida. A former a politician who's never been able to win the elections ever since he got involved in that incident. He stole funds for his own purposes.'' The man admitted. ''I don't know, it seems like he's changed but still...I'm not sure he's going to get anyone's trust just by keeping this up. People still call him 'Dame-Tora' too.''

''That sounds harsh...'' Namine paused. ''...Oh, thank you for telling me.''

''No problem.'' The man left.

''So he's like some sort of reformed criminal...'' Morgana mused. ''...it's kind of hard to imagine that.''

''No kidding...'' Namine glanced at the man's retreating figure. ''...well, no point waiting around here. You hungry? I got some of that fish you mentioned. We get discounts at that supermarket apparently.''

''All right! You're awesome, Namine!''

* * *

It wasn't until they saw the Wilton hotel with their eyes that Morgana understood Ryuji's surprise. It was easy to tell that the hotel was really fancy...

Namine had a similar thought. Upon considering the situation, she opted to wear a white and red dress that ended above her knees and black leggings with white boots and a black bag in which she was carrying Morgana. It was an ensemble she favored for certain occasions. Still, looking at the place now...

''You know, I'm beginning to think maybe we really aren't prepared for the place.'' She confessed to Morgana.

''At least you tried.'' He consoled. She was the one who actually made the effort to dress for the occasion and he wished he could say that for the others. There was no need to stick out like a sore thumb.

An excited Ann led the group inside and they were allowed to a table as per her reservation. Ryuji, in a similar mood, grinned brightly. ''This looks great!''

''I know! I wanted to come here for a while but I never imagined it'd happen this soon!'' Ann beamed.

The three teens went to get their food. When Namine came back, she was curious to see that her friends still weren't, apparently still at the buffet line.

''Oh hey, did you get me anything?'' Morgana asked curiously.

''Like I'd leave you out. Here,'' She picked up a piece of salmon and held it for the cat to eat.

''Thanks!'' Morgana beamed before he started eating, marveling at its taste when he finished.

Namine went on to eat, taking a moment to chat with her companion every now and then. Ryuji and Ann came back soon after that but it wasn't until they saw their trays that it became clear why they took so long.

Namely, that the first had piled up quite the amount of the beef selection and the latter had done something similar with the desert selection.

''If I didn't know any better, I'd say you went and got the beef and desert sections cleared up.'' Morgana said flatly.

''Oh, don't be silly. Like we could have done that...'' Ann picked up a fork. ''...there's still we haven't tried yet.''

''Is that all you're going to eat?'' Ryuji asked Namine.

''No, I'll pick up more if I can...but that's just what I want to ask. Are you really just going to stick to those?''

''I want to try all the beef I can get!'' He answered readily. ''Ann's going to be picking up calories pretty quick though. She'll really be...''

''Shut up!'' The blonde girl retorted, elbowing him in the ribs. ''Don't you have any tact? Don't tease girls about their weight.''

''You're barking up the wrong tree, Lady Ann. As if this guy could learn any tact.'' Morgana remarked.

''What was that, you stupid cat?!'' Ryuji scowled.

''Okay, okay.'' Namine intervened. ''Let's not start another fight, guys. We're here to celebrate, remember?''

''Exactly, let's not waste more time.'' Ann added.

* * *

With that said, they went back to eating. The group of four soon started to chat, regaling each other with stories and events from a number of times. Morgana mostly listened and commented every once in a while.

''You know, those guys don't really seem like much of team.'' The cat told Ryuji when the talk shifted to the track team. ''I mean sure, Kamoshida was behind what happened to them. Thing is, I can't help but think that things could have been better for them all if they tried working together.''

''Thank you! I thought I was the only one who noticed.'' Ann admitted. ''I heard a rumor about how there's already trouble brewing with them even with Kamoshida gone. They should work on being a team first if you ask me.''

''I never thought about it like that but I guess you got a point.'' Ryuji remarked, thinking this over. He didn't know about the trouble Ann mentioned but he made a note to look into this rumor another day.

''Though now that we mentioned Kamoshida, we heard some people talking about what happened in the school on our way.'' Morgana recalled, glancing at Namine, who nodded and took over.

''It didn't sound like they have all the details but what they did pick is pretty bad anyway.'' The girl remarked. ''It kind of sounds like some of the stuff was kept secret though.''

''Here's the worst part, they hardly even cared.'' Morgana's face wrinkled in distaste. ''They were just talking about how much impact the news would have and whatever...''

''Can't say I'm too surprised.'' Ann huffed. ''Even the principal hardly did a thing against that bastard. It was all about the school's image for him...''

Thankfully, talk shifted to lighter subjects quickly enough.

''A world cruise? That sounds cool!'' Ryuji remarked.

''Right?'' Namine smiled. ''They sent me some pictures, remind me to show you another time. It all looks great.''

''Are you really okay with this though? I mean...they went on this thing even when with what happened to you...'' Ann started.

''You got it wrong, Lady Ann. Namine insisted that they should go.''

Morgana's statement made the two blonds look at the girl in surprise. Namine half-smiled ''It's just...bad timing. I know how happy they were when they won. I was still going to be coming here anyway, I didn't want to ruin things for them. It's okay. They really are helping me and that's more than enough.''

''That's sweet of you.'' Ann smiled.

''It's just doing the right thing.'' Namine stood. ''I'll go pick up some food. You want anything in particular, Morgana?''

''I'll leave that up to your taste.'' He returned, watching her leave then.

''So you really can eat plenty of stuff for a cat, huh?'' Ryuji asked.

''I'm not a cat!''

''Oh hey!'' Ryuji took out his phone. ''I forgot to ask, did you guys see this? Someone made a website about us.'' The two looked at him curiously. ''Here, look!'' He turned the screen around for them. It displayed a page with a red and black background. The symbol on the calling card was a the top, along with the words 'Phantom Afficionado Website'.

''It's all stuff to thank the Phantom Thieves for stopping Kamoshida.''

''Wow...'' Ann started. ''...this is the first I hear of it.''

''Pretty cool, right?''

''Yeah...it feels odd, I did this to deal with my own troubles and now they're all thanking us for it.''

''Well I think the bottom line is, we did the school a favor.'' Morgana stated. ''Who made this anyway?''

''No clue but whoever it is keeping the site up and running. We can try finding out when school starts up again.''

''Let's do that then.'' The cat nodded. ''But man, look at all those...it just goes to show how much damage Kamoshida actually caused.''

''You can say that again. And it took us going through all that trouble to give them a wake up call...'' Ryuji trailed off.

Ann happened to glance at his phone's clock ''Oh, we're wasting time! We can stay for one hour, remember?''

''Crap, you're right! I gotta have more of the beef!''

''I have to try everything in the desert section!''

The two blonds immediately headed to the buffet line, leaving Morgana to sweatdrop. ''They can't be serious...right?''

* * *

''This is so good!'' Morgana beamed after taking some rice from Namine. ''It's perfect after trying that beef and sour cream...''

Namine hummed as she continued eating. Unlike her friends, she had opted to try out a number of choices, making sure to include things she hadn't ever tasted before.

''I'm so glad you're here. Can you believe they wanted to give me some that nasty slop?'' Morgana huffed.

''You're overreacting.'' Ryuji rolled his eyes. ''The beans were fine, you just didn't try any.''

''It looked awful and I didn't see you trying a single bit!''

The blond made to retort but was distracted when Ann came back, seeming rather irritated ''What's with you?''

''I just had to deal with this bitch who was looking to make a fight...'' She grumbled. ''...I didn't even do anything and she was all acting like I was a brat who came to get her. She was all like, I shouldn't even be here and how this hotel's service was really going down if they'd let us here.''

He snorted ''Yeah, we heard stuff like that. Plenty of assholes were giving us those kind of looks. They took me for some kind of hooligan and they think Namine had to be trouble if she was with me.''

''Never mind them, guys.'' Aforementioned girl said. True, she had tried to prepare for this place but that was only a courtesy. If people were going to judge them like that then she really didn't care. ''We can't get worked over every single lousy adult we meet, there's plenty of those to go around.''

''You got that right.'' Ann agreed.

Morgana watched as the two fell back into eating their selections, accepting a sushi roll from Namine before chewing and swallowing. He was suddenly glad he listened to Namine when she tried advising them to pace themselves. One, because he was feeling full and two, because one look at Ryuji's food left him thinking that the ex-athlete was biting off more than he could chew.

''Eh, can you even eat all that?''

''Sure thing! I wouldn't have picked it otherwise.'' Ryuji bit another piece of beef.

In a few minutes though, he would come to change his mind.

''...Guys, can't you help me out a bit?''

''I'm going to be finishing mine, sorry.'' Namine said.

''Same...'' Ann paused, beaming as she enjoyed the cake's taste. ''...you did say you can do it.''

He groaned ''Gah, you know what, I'll just have to finish it myself then.''

* * *

Incredibly enough, he did pull it off. Unfortunately, his newest idea would end in a big failure as he was quick to head to the bathrooms minutes after he finished.

''And we were supposed to be the ones wasting this chance? How is taking so much that you get sick any better?'' Morgana deadpanned, recalling some of the boy's earlier words. One look at Ryuji's face was clear to show what the problem was, after all.

Once the remaining trio were done with their food, they made to leave the hotel. Ryuji joined them near the entrance. He started to push at the door only to be surprised when it was pushed from the other side, knocking him back. The reason was revealed to be a group of men entering the Wilton. One of them walked by, pushing Ryuji back further.

''Hey!'' The blond snapped. ''Apologize! You can't just go around shoving people like that!''

The man spared him an annoyed look ''I'm in a hurry.''

''Oh, I'm sorry.'' Ryuji drawled sarcastically. ''Is that supposed to make everything okay?''

''Right, you're being really rude!'' Ann added.

''What're you lot even doing here?'' The man demanded.

''Things really did change. The hotel opened a daycare, apparently.'' One of his companions remarked.

''Yeah, the service must have really gone down if they let ruffians like them here.'' Another added.

''What?!''Ann scowled.

Namine was all set to speak up for her friends when a new voice interjected. ''Enough. Ignore the brats, we really need to be going.''

''R-right!'' The three men straightened at this.

Something about this voice seemed familiar, but she couldn't place it. The speaker was a tall, ball man with a goatee, wearing sharp orange glasses and a suit like the others in his group. He had a powerful, confident presence that pointed him out as the group's head.

Namine froze, she didn't she had seen him before and yet...

Memories began to blur before her eyes, of recent events and all they led to. A thought began forming in her mind as she understood her sudden apprehension. That man reminded her of the one from that night. Her memories weren't all that clear though...it couldn't be, right?

Ann grumbled, glaring at their retreating figures ''They're terrible...''

''Lousy bastards...Namine?'' Ryuji cocked his head, seeing the girl looking down. ''What's up?''

''A-ah, it's nothing...'' Nothing they should be worried about anyway. The girl shook herself, deciding that she was overthinking things and followed her friends.

''Hey, Morgana?'' Ryuji's voice broke the ensuing silence. ''Anyone can have a palace right?''

''Yup, the only exception I know of are persona users like us. But in general, people whose desires go out of control wind up with a palace. Why?''

''I've been thinking...there's all sorts of rotten adults like that bunch we just met. I want to do something about them.'' Ryuji admitted.

Ann looked surprised ''You mean...you want to continue being the phantom thieves?''

''Yeah! Look how much of an effect we caused with Kamoshida. We can make a real difference out there!''

''I didn't think of it that way...'' Namine mused. ''...It sounds all right. I did promise to help Mona out before too. So yeah, I'm in.''

''Awesome!'' Ryuji grinned at her. ''What do you say, Ann?''

''That's...'' The girl appeared hesitant. ''...we're going to have to fight shadows again?''

''Afraid so.'' Morgana returned. ''The metaverse has plenty of them.''

Ann thought it over ''...All right, I'm in too. If I stay out now, I'll go back to the way I was before all this started. I don't want that to happen. Besides, it did feel really good to learn how effective our work was.''

''Brilliant!'' Morgana smiled. ''Then, it means...wait...'' The teens appeared surprised at the sudden pause. ''...Namine, are you sure?'' The girl gave him a quizzical look.

''Hey, I thought you'd like this. How come you're just asking her anyway?'' Ryuji inquired.

''It's just...after what happened yesterday...''

Ann looked between the two, not missing Namine's face change as she understood. ''What happened?''

''Well...we might as well explain...'' Namine looked back at them.

* * *

''Whoa...''

''For real?''

Ann and Ryuji exchanged stunned looks as they listened to the story Namine had told their feline companion the previous day.

''You actually did all that? Wow, Namine...'' Ryuji trailed off.

The girl laughed sheepishly ''It's not really all that...I was barely even thinking when it started...''

''Don't just try to downplay it, you're a hero!'' Ann said firmly. ''I don't get it. You helped save those people and they still believed that stupid charge?''

''It can't be helped.'' Namine said with a shrug.

''Okay...now I get what the cat's worrying about. You sure you're okay with this? You don't have to agree.'' Ryuji informed.

Namine couldn't help smiling, thinking that it was really nice of them to consider her feelings. ''I'm over that, you guys. Really. I know it wouldn't be the same as those creeps...we actually did plenty of good. I made my choice and I don't regret it. I don't want to back away from something I know is wrong. We have the power to make a difference and I think it should be put to good use.''

''Well said!'' Morgana stated, seeming relieved. ''So I guess this settles it then. We're an official group from now on.''

Ann nodded, smiling ''But...what should our team's name be?''

''Why don't we just stick to the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? Straight and to the point.'' Namine said.

''Yeah, I like it. Let's go with that.'' Ryuji agreed, with their companions nodding a moment later. ''So then, I know Morgana's guiding us and all but that's not really the same as being leader...''

''Nah, it isn't.'' The cat conceded. ''But that's why I think it should be Namine.''

''Wait, me?'' The girl let out, surprised.

''Yeah, why not?'' Ann grinned at her. ''We've been relying on you a lot anyway.''

''I'm no good with that kind of stuff, besides I know we can count on you.'' Ryuji chipped in.

''Yeah, you took charge a number of times and led us well. Besides, you've got those handly abilities too. You're definitely the best choice for leader.'' Morgana added.

''Well...okay, if you all think so.'' Namine returned.

''It's decided then. From here on out, we'll be the Phantom Thieves.'' Ann declared.

* * *

 _Well, I originally intended to add a bit more but this seems like a pretty good place to stop._

 _There we have it, the formation of the thieves. So, how was it? I generally tend to tweak things around in my work but I hope I'm getting the characters right. How do you think I'm doing so far?_

 _I'll admit the part about the track team is more or less my personal opinion. I just keep thinking that those guys have loads of trouble but they make it worse because of their own attitude. They really don't seem like much of a team to me._ _Anywho, this officially ends Kamoshida's arc and next time we'll kick things off with a bit of a necessary filler before moving into the next target: Madarame._

 _I'm not sure how much I'll stick to this next part and I probably won't handle it like they do in the game. This is a reminder for me more than anything._

 _Confidants: Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot, Rank 3)_

 _Morgana (Magician, Rank 3)_

 _Tae Takemi (Death, Rank 2)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress, Rank 1)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers, Rank 2)_

 _Igor (Fool, Rank 2)_

 _Thanks to everyone who reads my work and I hope you see it through to the end._


	9. Chapter 9

_I just set this story up on a whim but nice to see this getting such a response. Thanks to XepadAugustAtax for the reviews._

 _XepadAugustAtax: I'm glad you like the story. As for that particular subject, I did have an idea of who Namine would fall for later when I started this fic. That might change but...we'll see._

* * *

Namine barely concentrated on the walk to school, just going through the motions as her thoughts drifted elsewhere.

Specifically, the Velvet room.

She had met with Igor and the twins again a few days ago and once again, she was wondering if she should tell her friends about it. She did try but Morgana brushed it off as an odd dream. In all honesty, she couldn't blame him but maybe she could try again...

Igor had praised her for making what he considered good progress and he mentioned her rehabilitation again. Namine had, rightfully, asked why she was in line for rehabilitation in the first place. Obviously, the word's normal concept couldn't apply here. Besides, strange and mysterious things aside, Namine didn't think she needed rehabilitation, the man from that night was the one who did.

Igor had conceded to her reasoning and stated that they wished to prepare her to become a thief. Her complete success would mean preventing the oncoming ruin. He hadn't quite explained that part but his words and demeanor proved that there was plenty to the metaverse than they knew.

Caroline and Justine had admitted to being given more leeway to help her, with the former calling it a few services that would make her grow stronger. Igor had helped allowing her to get more personas. Namine had learned about persona fusion and confidants, which were effectively special bonds or connections she had with certain people. Her mind had immediately drifted to her friends as the facts fell into place for her. After thinking it over, she knew she actually had one with Igor and Takemi as well. The confidants would help make her heart grow stronger and so she had been advised to spend some free time with them.

That she didn't really mind, Namine just wished they wouldn't be so cryptic.

''...where have you been exactly? The guy's a complete sleazebag!''

The girl blinked at the voice, looking at the two students walking nearby. The speaker continued ''It might have been mysterious and weird, but I think Kamoshida had it coming. The things he said in that assembly made me want to throw up.''

''I can see where you're coming from. It really is weird right?'' The second student cocked his head. ''I never would have thought he'd be like this...but how'd they make him come clean?''

''Who cares, man? I'm just glad he's out of our hair. We're definitely better off this way.''

''Can't argue with that...''

Morgana poked his head out of the bag ''Looks like we really caused quite a stir around here.''

''I'll say...'' Namine agreed.

* * *

The day went fairly normal, though there was no denying the buzz of activity and talk caused by the Phantom Thieves.

This was something Ryuji was pretty happy to see and he wasted no time telling his friends as much when he joined them at lunch.

''It's great, you should have heard it before, so many people are glad he's done.'' The former athlete finished.

Ann gave him a look ''You did hear those girls wondering if you and Mishima forced him to confess somehow when we came in, right?''

''Yeah, but who cares what they say?'' Ryuji waved it off. ''Anyway, who should we target next?''

''Lower your voice, idiot!'' Morgana hissed. ''Don't just go talking like this, remember where we are. Don't take it so lightly!''

Ryuji seemed annoyed but Ann spoke up before he could retort, tapping her phone's screen ''He's right. We can't just go with anyone. Especially with how ridiculous most of the requests on the site are.''

Namine craned her neck to look at the screen, noticing how one request asked to change the heart of a person who hadn't returned money he had borrowed two days ago. She found that it was just like Ann said, the requests were more or less about petty grudges and little trouble that could easily be resolved without their interference.

''Yeah, let's just wait for a bit. We have to be careful.'' She said at last, ignoring Ryuji's groan. ''I wonder who made the Phan-Site though. It's going to be pretty useful for us...''

''Definitely.'' Morgana concurred.

''Oh, so you did see it!'' Mishima approached the group. ''That's good. What do you think? You like it?''

''Yeah, it seems pretty good...'' Ann returned, curious to see where he was going with this.

''Great! To tell you the truth, I'm the one who made it.''

Ryuji blinked ''Really? I know you're good with computers and stuff but that's impressive.''

''Hehe, thanks! I wanted to help.'' Mishima stated. ''The thieves really helped us out so I wanted them to know that. It's already working...I mean, it's been you guys all along, right?''

The teens were left surprised, Ann managed to find her voice ''W-what're you talking about?''

''Yeah, we just...just found out about it by chance, that's all!'' Ryuji said.

Morgana held back a groan, really? They were completely obvious!

Namine was thinking along similar lines but she kept to herself, partly because she wasn't sure she could keep the pretense up better than them at the moment and also because she didn't see the point in trying now.

As they expected, Mishima wasn't affected in the least. ''It's okay...I know you can't talk about this now. The Phan-Site's a way for people's voices to be heard, I set up a poll too.''

''Oh yeah, that thing about people believing in the Phantom Thieves?'' Ryuji clarified.

He nodded ''It's already at six percent. You saw how a lot of people thanked you for stopping Kamoshida, it just shows how much your efforts meant to us all. That's just all the more reason for me to want to keep this thing going!''

Namine gave a bemused look ''Just do what you want, Mishima-kun. Somehow I don't think we'd be able to stop you.''

''All right, I'll keep supporting the Phantom Thieves then!'' He returned brightly.

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Moon Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

Sojiro looked back to see Namine coming out of the kitchen, having finished cleaning it all up. ''Thanks for the work, you didn't have to do all that.''

''It's okay, I don't mind.'' The girl returned.

''Actually, since you're here...'' Sojiro took out a key and gave it to her. He had been meaning to do this for a while. ''...I keep spares for the cafe just in case. No need to wait for you to come back everytime, I think you can handle a little more responsiblity now anyway.''

''Oh, thanks.''

''Well, for all the bad reputation you get, you're much like Yuri and Itsuki told me.'' Sojiro remarked, thinking he was just being fair. ''Speaking of which, sounds like you did real nicely by your friends and that Suzui girl. Good going, I'd say that had to take some real guts.''

''Ah, that? I just did what I thought was right but thanks again.'' Namine returned.

''Someone might as well say that,'' He said with a shrug. ''It sounds like the school's just all too happy to forget about the whole mess, including the news going about now.''

''Got it in one.'' The girl agreed. She hadn't really been expecting thanks or anything of the sort but the way they handled the situation was disappointing. The principal really seemed to just care about Shujin's reputation more than the students. Things shouldn't be that way.

''Anyway, kid, with you doing all this around here, I think it's time for a little exchange. How about I teach you to make the perfect cup of coffee?''

Namine blinked, clearly not expecting that. She smiled after a moment ''Sounds great.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Hierophant Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

Ann had decided to stop at a supermarket before going home. She paused to check her inventory and nodded to herself''Well, this should...'' The blonde paused, seeing a familiar face working to organize some items near the counter. ''...Namine?''

The girl blinked and turned ''Oh hey, Ann!''

''I was wondering why you didn't answer my texts...so you found a part time job after all?''

She nodded, seeming curious ''Texts?'' The girl took a moment to pick up her bag and take her phone out. ''Oh...sorry, we were kind of busy.''

''Ah, that's okay...'' The blonde waved off, pausing to pay for her purchases at the register.

''Friend of yours, Hyakuya-chan?'' The cashier asked, earning a confirmation from the girl in question. ''Well then, how about you go hang out?''

''? Is that okay now?'' Namine inquired.

''Sure, your shift's almost over anyway and you've done a real good job today. You've earned it.'' He assured, giving her payment then. Namine thanked him and picked up her things before going out with Ann.

''That was nice, looks like you're working hard.'' Ann remarked.

''Well, I try. There's no point in any of it otherwise.''

The girls began walking through the street, with Morgana meeting them around the corner, to Ann's surprise.

''Did you get in trouble when they saw you or something?'' She couldn't help but ask.

''One of Namine's co-workers is really allergic to cats.'' Morgana replied. ''I tried hiding out before but we figure this is the better choice.''

''I guess it would be...'' Ann paused. ''...you know, it's funny, I never really noticed just how much of an effect we caused by changing Kamoshida's heart until I saw the Phan-Site. There were a whole lot of people thanking us. Shiho and her family were happy to hear that he was gone too...I kept wondering why people just took this lying down but then I was the same. If I had been strong enough to do something about him back then...''

''Don't blame yourself for his actions, Lady Ann!'' Morgana cut in. ''Kamoshida's a disgusting, egoistic pig. Remember what happened when you awakened Carmen? He wanted you to feel guilty.''

''He's right, Ann.'' Namine concurred. ''And you were strong enough to help deal with him. You fought with us to make him stop. That's definitely worth something. You said it yourself, you chose to continue being on our team because you didn't want to forget what you learned, you're keeping it to heart. I'd say it means you made the most of this mess.''

''...You know what, you're right.'' Ann smiled. ''Thanks, you two. It really did feel like I learned plenty. That's why I decided to strengthen my heart.''

Morgana looked at her curiously ''Oh? That sounds good, Lady Ann!''

''Yeah, Carmen's going to grow stronger with it too, right? Well, I think I'll start maybe by trying out some new foods, or maybe taking less sweets...''

''Um, Ann? That doesn't really seem right.'' Namine offered.

''It definitely isn't that simple.'' Morgana muttered.

Ann looked from one to the other ''Well, then, how do we do it?''

''Hard to say but how about we figure it out together?'' Namine returned. ''I think it would be good for all of us, actually.''

''I'm in!'' Morgana chirped.

Ann's smile returned ''Sounds like a plan.''

* * *

School passed with little incident the next day and soon the thieves had gotten together, taking refuge in a park. Ryuji had tried, with little success, to get his teammates to choose a target.

''Would you just be patient?'' Morgana demanded irritably. ''This isn't something we can decide on a whim.''

''You guys are just overthinking this. The Phan-Site has requests we can pick.'' The blond grunted.

''More like you're not thinking enough. How are you taking any of those things seriously? It's not that we're picky but come on! One of them even asked to change a girl's heart because she hasn't returned the money she borrowed just two days ago.'' Morgana scoffed. ''It's ridiculous!''

''But people are going to forget about us at this rate!''

''Not likely, we're not going to be a one-hit wonder.''

''Relax, Ryuji, it's only been a few days. We all want to keep this going too. Anyway, I'm not so convinced people are taking us seriously, from the looks of those posts.'' Namine admitted. ''I think it's important to take things carefully especially since we're just starting out. Our actions now could easily affect us later.''

''As expected of our leader!'' Morgana said approvingly. ''I couldn't agree more. It's like those people think we're genies for hire or something...''

''Hey, guys.'' The three looked at Ann, who had been searching on her phone. ''I found something. There's a post from a girl called Hachibara Kitana asking us to help stop her ex-boyfriend. It looks like he's stalking her. We've got to help her.''

''We will.'' Namine returned, glancing at the other two, who nodded. ''It's decided then.''

* * *

The four left the park to find a secluded area they could use to head into the metaverse.

''I still think you guys were being too picky. If we had done at least a couple of requests, we could have raised that poll.'' Ryuji remarked.

''You mean the one about people believing in us and all that? This isn't the time to pay attention to it.'' Ann said.

Morgana rolled his eyes, thinking that the former athlete was too stubborn ''Ryuji, if you see a gym that advertises all sorts of equipment and services but it doesn't deliver even half of those promises, what would you think of it?''

''Eh? Well, it'd be a waste of space. Why?''

''Apply the same logic to the Phantom Thieves. He's saying we need to set the foundation to our team and make sure we stick to it.'' Namine offered. ''We're out to stand up for the weak, those whose voices aren't heard. We need to set our values in place now. Nothing would make those stick better than the right actions.''

''Oh...I get it. You guys should have said that before...''

''You weren't exactly listening.'' Ann retorted. ''Anyway, Morgana, we've got the guy's name but nothing else to get to the Palace.''

''Ah, about that, I have a suspicion...Lady Ann, can you put in the word Mementos?''

''All right...Nakanohara Natsuhiko, Mementos...'' She muttered, entering the words in the navigator.

The area around them began to distort, soon clearing to reveal that they were in a big, dark hall. Closer inspection revealed the new place to be similar to a train station.

Skull blinked, not missing that they were all in their thief gear ''What, so this guy's Palace is a station?''

''Not quite.'' Mona hopped on a ledge and turned to face them. ''Looks like I was right after all. Mementos is different from what you saw before, it's everyone's palace.''

''What does that mean?'' asked Panther.

''I think this place is connected to the metaverse's core. It expands to cover a really big area and that's why there are many shadows in the lower levels. That's where we'll find our target.'' The cat stated. ''People whose desires are distorted but not strongly enough to form a Palace wind up in Mementos.''

''Wait, what? But you said Kamoshida's desires created the Palace...''

Joker remembered then ''You also mentioned something about desires going way too strong and out of control, right?''

''Exactly, Joker!'' Mona said with a smirk as he led them to the entrance to the lower levels. He continued as they descended the stairs. ''That's just how it is. The people we find here are those whose desires haven't gone that far yet, so this'll be all the more easier.''

''That's good and all but how are we going to get there? This place seems pretty big.'' Panther pointed out.

''I've been waiting for this.'' The cat stated. ''Now...Morgana, Transform!''

He jumped into the air and flipped, the next thing they knew he had disappeared and was replaced by...

''A bus?!''

''No way!''

Mona laughed as the black and yellow bus landed on the ground ''Surprised? This is just one of my abilities!''

''That makes no sense! How can you do that anyway?'' Skull demanded.

''It's all about cognition. For some reason cats changing into buses is a common concept for the populace.'' Mona returned. ''Anyway, come on, one of you take the wheel so we can go!''

Skull blinked ''Take the...can't you drive yourself?''

''I'm a bus! How would that work?'' Mona retorted.

The three exchanged looks before Joker spoke ''I'll try. We might as well get to it...you're going to have coach me through this, Mona.''

''No problem!''

* * *

Mementos was rather eerie, the teens came to agree. The walls were almost pitch black and red, they could see strange vein like structures every now and then. There was clearly no one around these parts besides them and the shadows.

It was after they were well on the way that Skull decided to ask about something he had been wondering about ''Say, Joker? How come you tried to look up more stuff before?''

''Good question. Was there something about the request?'' Mona added.

''No, nothing like that. I was just thinking...looking back, I was just too careful. I heard about how you could easily be tricked over the internet. I just thought we shouldn't jump into the situation when we know that little about it.'' The girl admitted. ''For all we know, there might have been more going on...is what I might have said but now it just seems a little too much...''

Mona groaned, surprising her ''I didn't even think of it like that! We really could have been in for trouble...''

''Don't worry about it, Joker. You're just looking at this from every angle.'' Panther remarked. ''You worry that much because you care. I say it makes you more of a reliable leader if anything.''

''Damn straight!'' Skull agreed readily.

Joker laughed a bit, stopping when she saw a reddish black spiral up ahead.

''Go right in, Joker. Our target's over there!''

* * *

The spiral took them to a new, big room. There was a man in a gray business suit, surrounded in a reddish black aura. He was somewhat hunched over, muttering to himself.

''Kitana's mine...all mine...'' He uttered. ''...no one's going to take her from me. She'll always be mine...''

Panther scowled ''Shut it! She's her own person. You can't treat her like this!''

He looked up, his golden eyes narrowed dangerously at the sight of the four ''Who are you?!''

''Your ex asked us to help.'' Skull returned. ''Leave her alone already! What you're doing is just messed up.''

''Shut up!'' Shadow Nakanohara retorted. ''What do you know?! You're just her to steal Kitana. I won't let you!''

A number of shadows appeared around him before he turned into an Incubus. He immediately flew to attack Mona, who jumped back to dodge. He then noticed the Silky flying at him but it was too close so he did the best he could to guard. The Incubus side stepped Panther's whip and tried to burn her, but the spell did little damage, leaving it to recoil in surprise.

Skull took advantage of this and hit the enemy on the head with a pipe before summoning Captain Kidd to use Zio and Panther hit home with her weapon. Meanwhile, Joker kept the shadows off the two blonds' backs by summoning her recently acquired Mandrake persona to confuse them, making a few even attack each other. She used the resulting chaos to her advantage and kept forcing them back with help from Mona till they defeated them.

The Incubus returned to attack again, flying about and lashing at Skull and Panther. ''Are you supposed to be some kind of heroes?! You're coming and hassling me but you don't do a thing about Madarame! Everything is his fault!''

''Who?'' Panther wondered.

''What're you talking about?'' Mona demanded.

''Don't act like you don't know!'' He snarled, attacking again.

Panther frowned ''Seeing as he clearly won't listen...Carmen!'' The dancer appeared behind her and summoned her flames at the girl's command.

''Zorro, Garu!'' Mona followed up, the combined attack causing greater damage.

''Have some of this!'' Skull and Joker hit him with a few bullets, knocking him down and the four thieves used an All-Out Attack, knocking the Incubus down.

It was surrounded by a dark aura, which then revealed Shadow Nakanohara on his knees.

''What's...what's so wrong about what I'm doing?! I just don't want to be alone again!''

Joker frowned, the info she had been able to glean on the man wasn't all clear but it did mention something about him being ousted in the art world a while back. Was this related?

As Mona told them before, shadows couldn't lie or hide their feelings. To her, he sounded sad...desperate, even.

''...You should try telling Kitana-san how you feel.'' She said at last. ''She asked for our help. It wouldn't really be strange, would it? People do things they might regret when backed into a corner. She just wants this to stop, you really scared her.''

''...I didn't mean to...'' He admitted. ''...I just don't want to be alone again. I can't stand it. After what Madarame did...''

''Yeah, who is this guy again?'' Skull inquired.

''A famous artist.'' Shadow Nakanohara replied. ''If you took Kitana's request then please, at least consider mine. Please stop Madarame! He's caused so much pain already...this'll just keep going if something isn't done.''

''We'll work on this.'' Skull assured. ''You should set things straight with your ex.''

''I will...thank you.'' He faded away in motes of light.

* * *

Mona led the three teens to a lower level, which was blocked by a huge wall. The cat explained how even this area was blocked from him before and it seemed the way to get around in Mementos would be for them to increase their reputation, gaining recognition from the people. Since Mementos was everyone's Palace, the more people became aware of them, the more paths they would gain.

The quartet returned to the real world afterwards, all agreeing to return to their homes.

''So you've been trying to get to the lower levels so you can do something about whatever changed you into a cat?'' Ann clarified.

''Right, Lady Ann.'' Morgana confirmed. ''I just know the answer's down there somewhere.'' He tilted his head a bit. ''...I keep thinking back to what Nakanohara said.''

''Me too.'' Namine admitted. ''I found something before we went to Mementos. There was a picture of a newspaper that mentioned a scandal online. It mentioned how Nakanohara-san was caught making doubles of famous paintings and selling them on the black market.''

Ryuji's eyes widened ''Are you serious?''

Morgana frowned a bit ''Let me guess, the guy who caught him...''

''...was Madarame.'' Namine nodded. ''It mentioned how there were more than a few people involved in the whole thing. According to that clip, Nakanohara-san was apparently a particularly big deal because he was Madarame's student. He was pretty much blacklisted in the art world after that.''

''Whoa...'' Ann let out. ''...but going from the shadow's reaction, there's more to this than we know, right?''

''Yeah, this situation is looking kind of twisted...'' Ryuji trailed off.

Morgana nodded ''...Let's start investigating. At this rate, we might be looking at our next target.''

* * *

 _And I'll stop here..._

 _Well, how was it? I wanted something to wrap things up from the first arc and leading to the second. I was going to set the start of the Hierophant Arcana a bit later but I felt it fit good here._

 _So I sort of came up with that scandal thing on the fly but I really don't want to just stick to canon so I tend to improvise at times._

 _From what I understood, Madarame somehow got most of his students somehow blacklisted so I figure a scandal like that would be a fitting reason. It will be explained later but I'm pretty sure most know, it's a sham. It's just that Madarame has so much fame and rep, people were just bound to believe him._

 _So next time we'll really get started on the second arc of the story. I have to say, this all started out because learning about Persona 5 gave me a bunch of questions and I just took it from there, so this is pretty fun._

 _Confidants: Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 3)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 3)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 3)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 2)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 2)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 1)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 1)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 1)_


	10. Chapter 10

_Well, now it's time to kick off the second arc. Thanks to anyone who read, favorited and reviewed the story. You guys are helping keeping me going!_

 _XepadAugustAtax: Thanks. I did try sticking to a schedule before but I don't think it would work unless I'm on holiday. So the updates are random. They just depend on my inspiration and whether or not I have time to write a chapter._

 _LordKirkleton: Yeah, I didn't like the exclusion either. It even kept happening after it was made abundantly clear that Morgana wasn't a cat. That's just wrong. I don't know much about writing romance but I will try. I'm still not sure who to ship Namine with, actually. I did have someone in mind when I started working on this but it'll depend on how I get things to develop. Either way it won't happen for a while._

* * *

Morgana watched Ann leave for a few moments before looking back at Namine ''Hey Namine, did Lady Ann seem a little strange to you too?''

''You're right. She was kind of distracted...'' The girl returned, making a mental note to check on her later.

As they left the school, the two noticed Ryuji near the gate. He walked over, grinning ''Hey, I've been waiting! I know Ann's going for that shoot but should we try to figure our next big move out?''

''We were talking about that, actually.'' Namine started, taking her phone out and tapping it a few times.''We tried looking a few things. Like this...'' She turned the screen around, letting the ex-athlete see a page displaying information about a Madarame Ichiryusai, a famous artist. There was a bit about a number of pieces and galleries he contributed to and his works throughout the years.

''So he's definitely our target then.'' Ryuji concluded.

Morgana gave him a look ''Don't just jump into things. That's too reckless. We decided to investigate him, remember?''

Ryuji made to respond but then a new voice spoke ''And what're you doing here?''

The teen frowned as he looked behind them ''Just hanging about, Miss Prez. It's got nothing to do with you.''

Namine followed his line of sight to find that he was watching a girl with dark brown hair that reached her chin and mahogany eyes which narrowed at Ryuji's words.

''A meeting of delinquents would be a cause for concern.''

Ryuji rolled his eyes ''You sure got some strange priorities.''

The girl's expression darkened ''What's that supposed to mean? The rumors say you were connected to what happened to Kamoshida-sensei...you were seen threatening him in the teachers' office and that made him quit.''

''Get your facts straight.'' Ryuji said flatly. ''First of all, Namine wasn't even there. She had to go to the infirmary after she helped Suzui.''

The girl looked over at Namine questioningly ''It's true.'' She offered. ''But...why are you respectful to him even after the rally? You do know what he did by now, right?''

''T-that's...'' The girl faltered.

''Oh she definitely does...'' Ryuji went on. ''...the bastard got our team disbanded, he harassed Ann and Suzui and he even slandered Namine. Why haven't you done a thing about any of this, huh?''

The girl stiffened ''Try to consider my position...being forced to deal with all this horse play...''

''Horse play?!'' Ryuji's temper was rising.

Namine frowned at the girl before letting out a breath ''Did you want anything else?'' The girl replied negatively after a moment and Namine turned to Ryuji. ''We'll be leaving then. Come on, Ryuji.''

The boy spoke after almost a minute ''Ann was right! She ticks me off, what the hell is her problem?''

''So who was that anyway?'' Morgana inquired.

''Nijima Makoto.'' was the answer. ''She's the student council president. Ann told me about her the other day. Even with all the trouble the students faced thanks to Kamoshida, she didn't do a single thing to help them. According to Ann, the rumors called her Kobayakawa's gopher. She hasn't done a thing before and now she shows up to bug us? Where the hell does she get off?''

Namine suddenly remembered her talk with Sae and realized that the girl was in fact the sister she had heard about before. ''I'm more worried about her reasons behind that talk...''

''Yeah, I don't like it.'' Morgana paused. ''We should be careful, she might be on to us.''

''Enough of that,'' Ryuji said. ''Come on, I found a good place to train!''

* * *

It was on their way back from the Protein Lovers' Gym that Namine and Morgana came across a small gathering. The reason soon became clear at the sight of the familiar figure standing before this crowd. It was Yoshida Toranosuke, the politician they had heard of earlier.

He was giving another speech and once again it seemed that no one was willing to listen. The man seemed to be intent on bringing the regular trouble people face every now and then and urge people to be proactive. He was trying to raise awareness but seemingly to no avail as his audience was clearly apathetic.

Yoshida had radiated confidence but as the few listeners he had were leaving, his expression darkened for a moment before he seemed to snap himself out of it.

It was then that he happened to notice that not all of his audience had left.

''Oh, hello there, young lady. I thought you seemed familiar, you were here the other day. Has my speech caught your interest?''

Namine nodded ''I didn't catch all of this one but what you said made plenty of sense to me. I'm kind of surprised no one's listening, it's definitely worth that.''

''I'm glad to hear that, thank you.'' Yoshida said warmly.

''It's nothing.'' Namine returned. ''I heard a bit about you, to be honest. You're really intent on seeing this election through, huh?''

''Absolutely.'' The man replied. ''I might have an idea of what you heard. I'm looking to make a complete turn around. My past failings are due to inexperience and foolishness on my part but I still believe that I can make a difference in politics. I could have left it but I couldn't bear to let things end on that note.''

''I see...that's a pretty impressive drive there, Yoshida-san. With you this serious and passionate about politics, I think you can really pull this off.''

Yoshida smiled ''Thank you kindly.''

Namine happened to catch sight of the clock nearby ''Oh, it's already...Sorry, I should be going by now.''

''I understand, I hope you'll come by again.'' Yoshida admitted.

''I will.'' Namine left.

He couldn't help smiling, this little talk was definitely uplifting his spirits ''What a kind person. Ah, I forgot to ask her name...''

* * *

Since Ann hadn't answered the messages Namine tried to send, the girl was left to wait for her to get to school to find an answer. She was hoping that the blonde was just distracted yesterday and it was nothing big.

The answer threw that notion out the window.

''A stalker?!''

Ann nodded, looking uncomfortable ''It's been going on for three days. I never saw him but it always feels like there's someone following me...''

''Why didn't you tell us before, Lady Ann?'' Morgana demanded.

''I wasn't sure.'' She admitted. ''I wanted to do something yesterday but I had the photo shoot to worry about...''

''We'll look into this today.'' Namine decided.

Ann blinked, surprised ''You don't really have to...''

''We want to.'' The girl cut in. ''It's good that nothing happened so far but how long will that last? We should get to the bottom of this.''

''Exactly!'' Morgana agreed.

The blonde smiled ''Thanks...''

* * *

''Enough!'' The teacher called. ''The period might almost be over but that doesn't mean you can start talking. You're not little kids!'' His eyes narrowed. ''Let's check how much you retained. Who do you think is the origin of term magistrate's patronage?'' A number of the students avoided his eyes and the rest were starting to quiet down. ''Honestly...Hyakuya, how about you answer?''

''Minamoto no Yoshitsune.'' The reply came a moment later.

''Good. That's right.''

Some students nearby exchanged looks as they began to whisper.

''Hey, did you know that?''

''I forgot!''

''Hyakuya-chan's smart, huh?''

Ann shook her head a bit. At least they were starting to see things differently. This wasn't exactly the first time Namine answered questions correctly. She supposed she could give their classmates a little slack, after all, very few believed the rumors about Namine and they were actually getting along well. It was about time.

* * *

The four phantom thieves got together at the end of the day and left the school.

''Really?'' Ryuji raised an eye. ''Sure you're not imagining things, Ann?''

''I just said I wasn't!'' The girl retorted. ''You really think I want to even think of something like this?''

''You really are an idiot, Ryuji! At least try to consider Lady Ann's feelings!'' Morgana chided.

''What was that, you stupid cat?! It's an honest question!''

Morgana decided to ignore the first part in favor of pressing his point in ''It's a thoughtless one. Can't you see how uncomfortable this is making her?''

''Okay, that's enough.'' Namine interjected, giving them both an annoyed look. ''You're not helping one bit. That _was_ insensitive, Ryuji and Morgana, enough with the insults. We've got enough trouble to work around with here, no need for more.''

''Sorry...'' The two replied in tandem.

''Thanks for the support anyway, you guys.'' Ann said after a few moments.

''Of course, Lady Ann! I'll protect you from this creep!'' Morgana declared.

Ryuji gave him a look ''There's not much you can do like that, is there?''

''Hmph, you'll see. As if I'd let someone like this get away!''

* * *

It was a little while later that Ann stopped walking. They assumed that it was because she was at the shop she wanted to visit but then she began looking around, clearly uncomfortable ''I could have sworn I just saw...it feels like he's back...''

The four began looking around for the stalker, all careful and not wanting to miss a thing.

They didn't have to try for long as the person in question was coming up to them. Or specifically, Ann.

The girl started as someone tapped her shoulder, turning around to find a boy with dark blue hair and grey eyes watching her.

''...That's him?'' Ryuji uttered.

Ann frowned ''Finally! Who are you and why were you stalking me?''

''Stalking you?'' The boy blinked. ''That's absurd...''

''No, it isn't!'' She argued. ''I know you've been following me for days! What do you want?''

''It seems we have quite a misunderstanding...'' The boy cleared his throat. ''...You, you are the woman I've been looking for.'' Ann looked surprised. ''After so long, I found what I need. Please, would you...?''

The blonde began to get flustered, she had a bad idea where this was going. ''Wait, this is...''

''Hey!'' Morgana growled. He happened to be thinking along similar lines. The boy's passionate tone made this seem important. He was interested in Ann and he was following her for days...would this mean he wanted to date her? ''He can't just...!''

What the boy said next threw them all for a loop.

''...be the model for my next painting?''

Ann blinked ''What?''

Before anyone could react, a car stopped nearby. The window dropped down, revealing a man with grey hair, clad in a bronze kimono. ''I wondered why you left suddenly. So this is where your passion leads? That's just fine!'' The car left then.

Ryuji blinked twice before he looked at the boy ''Er, you mind explaining things now? We've got a big mess here.''

''True. Well then, my name is Kitagawa Yusuke. I'm a second year in Kosei High. That man you just saw was my teacher Madarame Ichiryusai-sensei.''

''Wait, Madarame?'' Ann's eyes widened. ''Isn't he the one who appeared on that talk show a couple of days ago? That famous artist?''

''The very same.'' Yusuke answered.

She wasn't the only one who recognized that name but not for the same reason.

''That was the guy from the article Namine showed us, right?'' Ryuji whispered.

''Yeah,'' Morgana answered quietly as the girl in question seemed pensive, having recognized the name too. ''It looks like he's the one Nakanohara's shadow told us about.''

''I apologize for the misunderstanding.'' Yusuke was telling Ann. ''Your beauty stunned me at first. I would be delighted if you would consent to being my model.''

''Er, well, that's...'' The girl wasn't sure how to answer now.

Namine decided to help ''You kind of threw her off, Kitagawa-san...''

''Yeah...'' Ann noticed his expression change. ''...erm, what's up?''

''I can't believe my luck.'' Yusuke didn't seem to be listening and they suddenly realized that he was staring at Namine with the intense look he had been giving Ann. ''To think I missed such a thing before...'' Namine just seemed confused. ''...Miss, I would very much like it if you would be a model.''

''Wait, what?''

''Ah, hold on...where'd this coming from?'' Namine clarified.

''I find you quite lovely as well.'' Yusuke admitted. ''That's what I meant before. If I had seen when I did you friend, the first request would have been extended to you as well.''

''Erm, thanks...Can we think about this? It's kind of out of the blue...'' She managed, looking flustered. Namine could understand why he was interested in painting Ann. The girl certainly was beautiful. She didn't really think of herself as pretty so this was surprising to say the least.

''Of course.'' Yusuke replied, taking out three tickets. ''Sensei is holding an exhibit the day after tomorrow. Would it be possible to have an answer ready then?''

''Ah, I guess so...'' Ann offered, taking the offered tickets then.

''Excellent, till then.'' The boy gave a small bow and left.

''Well...that was something...'' Ryuji said at last. ''...so you want to go to this exhibit?''

''Honestly, I'm not too sure about any of this...but that might be for the best.'' Namine exhaled. ''I can't see a better way to find out more about Madarame, can you?''

''Good point...so that really was the same guy, huh?''

''It has to be.'' Morgana replied. ''They were both mentioned in the article remember? Besides, his was the only name that came up when we started looking into this.''

Ann raised an eye''What're you talking about?'' Her eyes widened as they filled her in. ''Wait, you think that was the guy the shadow told us about? I guess that makes sense...I wonder if Kitagawa-kun is treated badly...''

''Let's wait and see. I think the exhibit should tell us plenty if we do things right.'' Morgana stated.

* * *

The four went to Mementos the next day, following a request Mishima pointed out about a pair of Shujin students bullying others. The four were able to defeat their shadows well enough but they learned that the bullying had started because the two were cornered by a third year student as it let them get money that would keep him off their backs.

''So they did all that because they were scared, huh?'' Ryuji remarked as they went down a street.

''It's not really that surprising. They did try to find help. You'd think the school would pitch in with something like this though.'' Morgana remarked.

The ex-athlete snorted ''Now I'd love to see _that_ happen.''

The cat could see his point. Now that he thought about it, if the school hadn't done a thing with the Kamoshida situation it was hard to believe they would a thing now.

It was just after the four separated to go on their own ways that Namine happened to suddenly change directions.

Morgana tilted his head ''What's up? Did you change your mind and decide to shop today?''

''Wait, just a minute...''

He watched her approach a girl with light brown hair that was standing near a store and tap her shoulder. The girl started, turning back to them before her face lit up in recognition ''Hyakuya-chan!''

''Hey, Senpai.'' Namine greeted back. ''I thought I recognized you. Are you here to shop?''

''No, I was just passing by. I wanted to take a little walk while waiting for an appointment.'' Haru admitted. ''Would you come with me? I could use company.''

''Sure thing.''

The girls walked a little down the street before Haru began to speak ''This is nice. I haven't done it in a long time...''

''How come?'' Namine tilted her head a bit.

''I've been busy with obligations.'' The girl admitted. ''I think it's just like you said when we met, it's always nice to take a moment and enjoy the little things in life. I wonder how long...'' Haru seemed to catch herself then as she quickly dismissed the statement to a curious Namine.

''Well, I'm used to taking walks every now and then but going around these parts is still new for me.''

''Oh, you too?''

''Yeah, I moved when I transferred. I'm still taking time to look around the city when I can.'' Namine stated.

''Ah, I assumed you just came from a nearby school.'' Haru admitted, noticing Morgana then. ''Oh, what a cute kitty!''

''That's Morgana.'' Namine stopped to let her pet the cat for a few moments before they continued the walk.

''I've been wondering...'' Haru started. ''...Hyakuya-chan, why didn't you tell me you were the one who intervened to help during that incident at the roof?''

Namine looked sheepish ''You heard? Erm, It just kind of happened. Best not to make a big deal out of it, I'm just glad everything worked out in the end.''

''Don't just brush it off, that was great. I can't believe people actually badmouthed you after that too.''

''Well, it's fine now. Besides, that was mostly because of Kamoshida...''

''Somehow I'm not surprised...''

Haru's statement made the two thieves look at her curiously ''? Okumura-senpai, don't tell me he...''

''He did come on to me before.'' The girl admitted. ''I think he just left it left at that because of father's influence. Something just seemed off about him, I tried asking but no one really helped. The ones who would tell me anything just kept saying how much of a great person he was. Then that rally came...I'm amazed someone managed to make him confess to all those things. You must've had it rough.''

''Nah, it's okay now,'' Namine returned. ''What matters is that everyone knows the truth.''

''That certainly is a relief.'' Haru agreed. She happened to glance at her watch. ''Ah...I should be going back by now.''

''Well, all right...'' Namine had a thought ''Hey, Senpai? How about we hang out when you get another break? I'm still taking time to check the area out but I'm always up for more company.''

The older girl beamed ''I'd love that. Thank you, Hyakuya-chan.''

''Ah, just call me Namine.''

''Then please call me by name as well.'' At Namine's following suggestion, the girls exchanged contact information before they went on their way.

* * *

Soon came the day of the exhibit, with the four phantom thieves met near the station before they headed to the gallery.

''This is going to be great!'' Ryuji was enthusiastic. ''I was waiting to find a good target, it's brilliant!'' He looked at the girls. ''So are you going to be models after all?''

''Well...it's probably for the best.'' Ann stated, Namine nodded to this. ''We still need to get more information about Madarame. This looks like a really good chance, actually.''

''I think it is too.'' Morgana remarked. ''We'll get a close look at this guy in action. You should ask Kitagawa too, he might have some useful info.''

''Wow...'' Ryuji's eyes widened as he took in the big crowd at the gallery. ''...I know he's supposed to be famous and all but damn...the place looks full already.''

After making their way through, the four were able to enter. The exhibit was clearly buzzing with activity. Some people chatted happily while others took time to admire the various pieces. There a few reporters at the other side of the hall that were looking for Madarame.

It wasn't long before Yusuke found the quartet. ''You came!'' He exclaimed. Then something strange happened, his tone and expression darkened as he went on. ''You actually came...''

''Ah yeah, that was the plan.'' Ann reminded. Namine seemed confused. If she didn't know better, she could've sworn the teen was disappointed...

''Right, of course.'' Yusuke returned. ''I'll show the both of you around then.''

As he led the girls away, Ryuji noticed Morgana slipping out nearby. ''Hey, I'll go see if I can find Madarame.''

''Sounds good, I'll try to keep a sharp eye out too. This is a chance to discover more about our potential target, let's do this right.''

''Gotcha.'' With that, the two split up.

* * *

''Wow...it's all impressive...'' Namine said honestly as they took in the sight of the paintings. ''...I've heard about how there are different styles of art but seeing all those together is really something.''

''I'll say.'' Ann agreed. ''No wonder Madarame's so famous.''

''Yes...'' Yusuke gave a small smile. ''...Sensei certainly worked for his reputation. His talent speaks for itself. He's special.'' He noticed Ann stop then. ''Is something wrong?''

''Ah, no...'' She glanced back at him before looking at the painting that had her attention. ''...I just thought...it's strange. Some of the paintings I saw gave off this good feeling, like the artist was expressing their happiness. This one...it just seems to radiate anger.''

Namine looked at the painting in question as she thought this over. She felt that her friend was right, compared to the ones they had just seen, this was a little strange. It was surprising to learn that a person who was happy enough to make such bright and colorful pieces could paint something that seemed so dark. ''Yeah...I'm kind of curious now. Can you tell us anything about this piece, Kitagawa-san?''

''That one...'' He hesitated. ''...it's...''

''Kitagawa-san?''

''Ah, there you are, Yusuke.'' Madarame walked over to the three. ''Oh, if it isn't the girls from yesterday. Are you having fun?''

''Yeah...it's really amazing.'' Ann replied.. ''It's...kind of hard to explain how to feel after all those paintings. Right?'' Namine nodded.

Madarame chuckled ''The fact that you feel something just by looking at them is more than enough. It is what we aim for after all. I have to say, I can see why you two caught my student's eye. I imagine you'll have lovely paintings, Yusuke. Excuse me...'' He left.

''Well, he seems nice.'' Ann started.

''Ah yes, he is.'' Yusuke returned.

The blonde made to ask about the painting but he was already beginning to lead them away, saying that he was eager to show them another piece...

* * *

''Bubbles in a spring?'' Morgana echoed.

''Yup.'' He and Ryuji were outside the gallery, having been forced to leave due to the crowd's commotion. The blond had found Madarame in time to overhear a part of his interview. ''Apparently, his inspiration just pours out. Something's just really fishy here. You know he actually lives in a shack?''

''Seriously?''

''That's what those reporters said. It sounds like a real mess. The guy who asked couldn't believe that lived there but Madarame said something about finding beauty in simplicity. I think...'' Ryuji trailed off. ''...it's weird, right? A famous artist living in a run down shack?''

''Totally...'' Morgana agreed. ''...it's surprising. I guess we'll have to wait and see the place for ourselves to be sure...''

''There you are!'' Ann's voice brought attention to her as she and Namine arrived.

''Oh hey, did you give Kitagawa an answer?'' Ryuji inquired.

''Yeah, we're going over tomorrow.'' Namine informed. ''It really seems like our best chance to figure this out.''

''Do you think maybe it's a different person?'' Ann suggested.

''I don't see it, Lady Ann. Remember not to judge, there's still plenty we don't know.'' Morgana pointed out. ''I think you made the right call. It'll be a good chance to see what Yusuke knows.''

''There's no reason it couldn't be him. Check this out...'' Ryuji flipped his phone screen over to let them that he was opening the Phan-Site. There was a post that read

'A famous japanese artist is stealing the works of his disciples, and TV's only showing his public face.'

''Does this mean he's mistreating his students and stealing their work?'' Morgana wondered. ''Ryuji, who wrote this?''

''Beats me, the post's anonymous.''

''This is looking like way too much of a coincidence...'' Namine crossed her arms. ''...let's be careful about this. We don't want to bring any suspicions on us. Kitagwa-san apparently lives with Madarame. I'm still not sure about the modeling but if it helps us pull this off...''

''Don't worry, worse comes to worse, we'll all be there to stop any trouble.'' Morgana reminded.

''Right. Well then, till tomorrow.''

* * *

It didn't take the four long to agree, the reporters were right to wonder about Madarame's living quarters. Looking at them now, it was hard not to.

''Er, guys? Does he really live here?'' Ryuji clarified.

''We came to the address Kitagawa told Namine and Lady Ann, remember?'' Morgana returned. ''...Though I really can't blame you for being skeptic.''

''It is hard to believe.'' Ann agreed. ''This really is a shack...''

Namine rung the bell. Yusuke's voice came through moments later. ''Sorry, Sensei isn't here.''

''It's Takamaki and Hyakuya.'' Ann informed.

Yusuke started ''I'll be right there!''

Indeed, the door quickly opened. Yusuke smiled as his eyes fell on the girls ''I'm glad you came.'' His expression changed once he noticed Ryuji. ''You're here as well?''

''S'up?'' Ryuji ignored his less than friendly tone. ''Just wanted to make sure there wouldn't be any trouble.''

''And just what does that mean?''

The teen looked unimpressed. Hey, he would've probably come even if the circumstances were different ''Dude, you remember how this whole thing started right? We thought you were a stalker! I think being a little worried about my friends would make sense after that.''

''...Fair point.'' Yusuke conceded. ''I suppose I should have thought my actions through. Very well, come on in.''

* * *

He took the group to a small room which had a canvas and other art supplies with a few seats nearby.

''So, this is a first...you want us to do something in particular?'' Ann inquired.

''No, just sitting over there is fine.'' Yusuke returned. ''I'd like to start with you first, please.''

''All right...''

Silence reigned as Yusuke got to work. Though they did try to get his attention a few times, he seemed so focused on the painting that he probably didn't even hear them. Eventually, he relaxed a little and spoke ''I'm sorry, Takamaki-san, this isn't working. I don't know what's wrong with me...perhaps it's best to try with Hyakuya-san next.''

Ann took another seat to let Namine take her place ''I've been wondering...how do you guys live in a place like this?''

''Oh, it's just fine.'' Yusuke returned. ''I know it seems rundown but Sensei believes that it's best to live in simplicity to stimulate our artistic sense.''

''About that...'' Ryuji started. ''...we heard some strange rumors about your teacher. That it's believed that he steals artworks and abuses his students.'' Morgana was noted how Yusuke's hand twitched at that. ''What do you think? Is it true?''

''Of course not.'' Yusuke's expression hardened. ''The very idea is absurd. That's all hearsay from people jealous of Sensei's talent.''

Ryuji wasn't so easily convinced ''Yeah? Well...''

''I'm telling you it's all lies.'' The artist insisted. ''As if Sensei would do such despicable things. He took me in after my mother died and helped raise me. Would a person who abuses others do such a thing?''

''It's all right, Yusuke.'' The voice made the group look over to the door to find Madarame there. ''It's nothing I haven't heard before. It's natural for them to worried considering the situation. I know I can't please everybody but I do hope you won't let the rumors completely influece you. Regardless, I'm grateful you came to help my student.''

''Ah, it's okay...'' Namine returned.

''Y-yeah, we were just curious.'' Ann offered.

''Understandable. Everything all right, Yusuke?'' Madarame went on.

''Just fine, Sensei.'' The teen returned. ''I was about to start with Hyakuya-san but then I saw the time. My apologies, I'll come help you with the other paintings.''

''No need to hurry, see to our young guests here first.''

''Very well.'' With that said, the man left and Yusuke looked back at the group. ''I'm sorry but something came up, I almost didn't notice the time. Since you graciously agreed to my request, I'll show you something.'' He took out his phone and tapped it before turning it around for them to the screen. ''This is the painting that inspired me to become an artist.''

The picture depicted a woman with a dark hair dressed elegantly while she was looking down, the lower part was veiled in lavender mist. It was an impressive piece, the artist's talent was clear for all to see.

Namine's eyes widened ''Wow...''

''I don't know much about art but even I can tell this is impressive.'' Ryuji remarked while Ann looked on in awe.

''Isn't it?'' Yusuke looked pleased at their reactions. ''This is Sayuri, his first painting. This is the kind of beauty I wish to pursue. When I saw Hyakuya-san and Takamaki-san, I felt the same way.''

Ann blinked ''Because of us?''

''Yes. That's why I wanted you to be my models.'' He returned. ''That being said, I know you call came this way but I have to go, something came up. Let's do this another day.'' Yusuke left.

* * *

Ann looked back at the shack as the four of them were walking away from it ''Maybe it's a different Madarame we should be looking for...''

''Yeah, they seem like good people. I thought we had something big.'' Ryuji admitted.

Morgana was more skeptic ''I don't know...he was the only one we could find much information about, remember? It adds up.''

''Oh come on, Morgana.'' Ann remarked. ''That's not fair. Didn't you see? He was really nice.''

''I'm still not convinced, Lady Ann. People can easily put on masks to hide their true selves.''

''You're just too stubborn.''

''...There's one way to find out for sure.'' Namine pointed out, raising her phone as she activated the Metaverse navigator.

''Yeah, that works!'' Ann concurred. ''We'll settle this now.''

''Right so his name and...the shack?'' Namine glanced at Morgana uncertainly, seeing the cat nod then.

''We still need the third one though.'' He reminded.

''How do we figure that?'' Ryuji asked.

''It's like with Kamoshida, remember? He thought of Shujin as his castle. We just have to figure out what Madarame thinks of that shack.'' Morgana returned. ''I know we'll have to guess but how about we narrow it down to things related to art for now?''

''All right, something like a...gallery?'' Ann offered, but nothing happened.

''Okay, what about a prison?'' Ryuji added, again, nothing happened.

''Art room then?'' Morgana offered. Another failure.

Namine looked pensive ''Related to art...well, how about a museum?''

 _''Candidate found. Beginning Navigation.''_ came the monotone response.

* * *

''He really does have a Palace...'' Panther started.

''Yup, it's just like Joker said, the nav cleared things up. That means we're definitely missing something here.'' Mona offered. ''It's like I said. He could easily have been trying to fool us.''

''Aw man, what's going on here?'' Skull asked.

''Let's worry about that later. For now, let's see what this place is like.'' Joker told them.

''Right!''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here. I'll begin with the palace exploration next time._

 _So how was it? I might have changed a couple of things but I hope it was good._

 _The part with the Nav was an accident. I didn't remember that it actually picked up the conversation until after I finished the chapter. Anyway, looking back, it seems a little odd. I know it's voice-activated but that was random. It doesn't seem to happen again anyway. (Someone please correct me if I'm wrong)._

 _Confidants: Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 4)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 3)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 3)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 2)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 2)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 1)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 1)_


	11. Chapter 11

_Well, this took longer than I thought but time just seems to fly by for me lately. Anyway, if anyone's interested. I've been working on a picture of Namine. I put it up in the story profile. I hope you like the chapter._

* * *

Skull cocked his head '' _That's_ the Palace?''

The others seemed just as thrown off, for the shack in the real world was now replaced by a big museum. It wasn't just that, if there was one word that could fully describe this place was that it was golden. Almost too much so, in fact.

''It's...really gaudy.'' Panther said at last.

''I'll say.'' Joker agreed. ''I knew we were in for a few surprises but whoa...so that's how he sees the shack...''

''So the Madarame we've seen was a fake, huh?'' Mona crossed his arms.

''It...is really Madarame, right?'' Panther asked.

Mona looked at her ''We checked, Panther. The Nav proved it.''

''I know, still...''

''Yeah, it's not really hitting me either.'' Skull admitted.

''There's no point wondering about this now. We're here to get some information.'' Joker reminded the group. ''So let's get to it.''

''Yeah!'' ''Sounds good.''

* * *

The front entrance was very crowded. There were guards trying to keep out people who were crowding to see Madarame's exhibit. It was all too clear how excited they were to see it.

The thieves decided to avoid the front entrance and instead used a parked truck to jump over a wall on the side and make their way in.

''Oh!'' Their feline companion stopped upon seeing two treasure chests on a shelf nearby. ''I think it's time I show you guys to pick locks.''

With that, Mona fetched a couple of tools before he began working on the chests' locks. One held a sum of money which they decided to keep for later and the second had a sword.

''Oh, this looks good!'' Mona took the new weapon.

''...Why do you know how to pick locks anyway?'' Skull said after a few moments.

The cat shrugged ''I just do.''

They stopped at a room, carefully staying back upon spotting the people who had come in.

''I can't believe we got this chance!''

''Right?! We actually get to see Madarame-sama's amazing work!''

''Amazing is putting it simply...the man is a true genius...''

''This is a privilege.''

''...And here I thought people were excited for the exhibit.'' Panther said after a moment. ''That was...something.''

''Even for his fame and rep, that's just too much...'' Joker trailed off. ''...Mona, those were cognitions of people like the ones we saw in the exhibit, right? If what we saw before is anything to go by...''

''This is all according to Madarame's desires.'' The cat nodded to her. ''I think it says something about Madarame's personality. There's definitely more to him than meets the eye.''

''Oh, you mean this works like the prisoners back with Kamoshida's shadow?'' Skull clarified, earning a nod from Joker. ''Well, damn...''

''I don't know, you guys...'' Panther seemed hesitant to follow the line of thought they were coming to. ''...this is really him? But he was so nice and humble...things were way different with Kamoshida. ''

''We're not as involved here.'' Joker pointed out. ''That's why the situation may seem vague.''

''Well, that's true...''

''So you think Mona's right and Madarame really should be our next target?'' Skull wondered.

''It's too soon to decide on anything...but I won't be too surprised if it does turn out that way.'' Their leader admitted. ''Mostly because of something Mona told me yesterday. The shadow's more or less a person's true self. They can't lie.''

Which effectively meant she was keeping what they were told about Madarame earlier in mind. When put like that, it was hard to refute such logic.

They went into another hall in which they were able to find a map that had what appeared to be at least half the museum displayed. Soon after that, the quartet found a big room with something that would be the first turning point in their current exploration.

A portrait of their previous target, Nakanohara Natsuhiko.

''Why's this even here?'' Skull looked around, his eyes suddenly widened. ''Whoa...''

It didn't take long for them to see what had him surprised, for the walls of the room were lined up with numerous portraits of people.

''Who are they?''

''I think they might be Madarame's students.'' Mona concluded.

Panther blinked ''Why do you say that?''

''Because I found a portrait of Yusuke, look.''

Indeed, there was one of the young artist, separate from the rest. Joker looked from it to the others, soon picking up on another oddity.

''All those tags just have their names and ages...''

''Hey yeah!'' Skull exclaimed as he noticed the same. ''What does this mean?''

''I don't know but is it just me or do those portraits seem a little odd to anyone?'' Joker frowned. ''Kind of...subdued? No, that's not right...hmm...''

'They're almost...lifeless.' Captain Kidd said after a moment.

Panther blinked ''Now that you mention it, yeah...''

''The paintings do give a submissive air...'' Mona concurred. ''...this is all starting to add up...''

As he looked back, Skull could definitely agree ''Yeah, didn't Nakanohara say Madarame betrayed him? Kitagawa's the only one at the shack...what happened to those guys?''

''It's starting to look like this is how Madarame sees them.'' Mona stated.

'As nothing less than property.' His persona finished for him.

'So it wouldn't be too far off to imagine that he might have ruined them too.' Captain Kidd stated.

Panther looked dismayed ''But why? Kitagawa-kun said Madarame took him in years ago...how long has this been going on?''

''Too long.'' Joker said darkly, glancing at the row of portraits again.

In light of the recent discovery, the group hadn't kept an eye on the area outside the room, which left them to be found out by some patrolling guards.

''Intruders!'' One cried before they rushed in.

The first tried to punch Skull but the latter held it off with his pipe and kicked it. Joker side stepped a blow from the second one, cutting its arm with her dagger, making it drop the club in its hands.

''Persona!''

Carmen and Zorro appeared, attacking the shadows with flames and wind respectively. The shadows' forms distorted for a moment before they materialized into two Hua Po, an Onmoraki, a Jack Frost and an Apsaras.

''Skull, the one on your far left is weak to lightning.'' Mona informed.

''Then it's all mine. Let's go, Captain!'' The teen summoned his persona, having it blast the Apsaras with lightning.

The Onmoraki screeched and flew at Panther, who tried to hit it with her whip but it flew out of the way. Its advance was quick to put a halt when Zorro used another Garu at its owner's command to throw it into the air. They were surprised when it quickly flew back up but it didn't take long to spot one of the Hua Po casting a Dia on it. Joker took a moment to have her Mandrake persona to try and confuse them.

The Jack Frost jumped up and used its ice magic, forcing Mona and the Apsaras, who had been the closest back a bit while the Onmoraki charged again. Joker shot the bird shadow down while Skull bashed the Jack Frost on the head with his weapon.

''Carmen, Maragi!'' Panther called, summoning a hail of fire that hit all the shadows.

The Hua Po were about to trying healing again but Joker thought fast and called Arsene to blind them with a curse spell. Skull shot one down and she proceeded to cut the other with her blade before Mona followed up on the attack.

Panther hit the Jack Frost with her weapon once before it made to roll away. Its advance was stopped by Joker, who held it at gun point. After a moment of thought, the girl decided to try acquiring its power. While she had feared that she messed up, the Jack Frost had actually agreed to help and so became one of her personas.

Panther let out a breath, relieved that the enemies were gone ''That's that.''

''That was great, Panther. Did you see how well our attacks worked together?'' Mona enthused.

''Heh yeah, I guess they did. We're a good team.''

''Definitely! We should concentrate on working to become better. I'd be happy to show you some tips...''

''Oh brother...'' Skull rolled his eyes at the sight of Mona practically falling over for Panther again. He glanced at Joker, who shrugged in 'what-can-you-do manner' with a bemused look. ''...quit messing around, cat. We've got to keep at this!''

''Who's messing around?!'' Mona retorted. ''I'm definitely doing a lot better than you!''

''Say what?!''

'Keep acting like idiots and you'll bring down more enemies on us.' Carmen said flatly.

They cringed and mumbled apologies at the valid point. Panther rolled her eyes at the two ''Anyway, what do we do now?''

''We're good to go for now, right?'' Skull cocked his head.

''I think so.'' Joker replied. ''Not for long though, we're not really prepared for another Palace just yet. Let's see if we can find anything else to tell us about Madarame.''

* * *

It soon turned out that her third eye had actually led them to that, something that would serve as another turning point in their mission. A statue of Madarame standing proud with some children holding their hands and raising him up.

Skull looked at the plaque on the statue's base ''It says this is called Infinite Spring...'' his eyes widened as he continued to read the rest of the words. ''...the hell? That bastard!''

Mona cocked his head ''What is it?''

''Listen to this: A work of art that the great director Madarame created with his own power. These individuals must offer their ideas to the director for the rest of their lives. Those who cannot do so have no worth living!''

''No worth living?'' Panther looked angry. ''He really does see his pupils as property...it's like he's talking about slaves...''

'As far as he's concerned, that's what they are.' Carmen remarked. 'Disgusting.'

''I'm curious about the part where it mentions offering ideas...'' Mona glanced at the plaque again. ''...so he takes his students' work?''

'It's safe to say that's the case.' Arsene stated.

''Yeah...'' Joker agreed. ''...I just remembered, Panther, you know how Kitagawa-kun started acting strangely when he was showing us around?''

She nodded ''I was wondering about that too...he was plenty happy to show us around but when we got to that painting, he just seemed to freeze up. So it was his painting all along?''

''So Madarame took it for himself? Why the hell didn't Kitagawa say anything?'' Skull wondered.

''He did say Madarame took him in when he had no one else...'' Panther recalled. ''...maybe he thinks it's just a debt.''

''Could be. That makes it all the more worse though...'' Joker remarked. Yusuke clearly looked up to Madarame, didn't the man care about him at all?

''He's another disgusting adult.'' Skull growled. ''I don't know about you guys but I say we definitely found our next target. We can't let him get away with this!''

''We're not going to leave things this way.'' Mona assured. ''But it's just like Joker said before, we just came to learn about Madarame. We haven't prepared to infiltrate a Palace. For now, let's go back.''

* * *

''You want to try talking to Kitagawa-kun again?'' Namine raised an eye.

''Yeah,'' Ann replied. ''I mean what we're going to do will affect him. It wouldn't feel right if we don't try.''

''Okay that part I can agree with and I'm up for helping there but not with the questions. I really don't see how asking about Madarame again would work, especially so soon.'' The girl returned. ''You heard what he said before, I don't think we can get him to say anything that easily even if he does know something's up.''

''Well we can at least try.'' Ryuji stated, but Namine clearly wasn't convinced. ''There's not much else we can do, right?''

Namine's expression was unreadable ''Maybe...'' The three looked at her curiously. ''...Seeing those portraits gave me an idea. I'm not sure if it would work but I'll tell you later.''

''? All right...''

* * *

Since it was getting late, the quartet turned in for the night. Namine put her idea in motion the next day.

Morgana walked over to the girl who was sitting at her desk, focused on her phone. He looked at the screen to see that she was texting Mishima.

MY: You want my help? Sure, what's up?

HN: I was wondering if you could help me find a way to get in touch with someone.

MY: Who?

HN: Nakanohara Natsuhiko. He's...sort of been involved in the site and I figure he might be able to help us get a few facts straight.

MY: Oh, so this is about...all right. It's a bit unorthodox but I'll see what I can do.

HN: Thanks!

MY: No problem, good luck!

''You think Nakanohara might be willing to help?'' Morgana inquired.

''It's worth a shot.'' Namine remarked. ''I told you, I just don't see the point of trying with Kitagawa-kun if we don't have some kind of proof. Nakanohara-san was also Madarame's student but I don't see any reason he'd want to defend him.''

The cat considered this ''That makes sense. He might actually be our best source for information after all.''

* * *

It was as they went downstairs that the two found something strange. The cafe was empty save for Sojiro and a man with dark hair that was somewhat concealed with a hat.

That wasn't the strange part, it was Sojiro.

The man seemed rather tense, which made the whole thing even more off considering how relaxed the other man was.

''Well, I'm just saying I wanted to know what's up. It's awfully cold of you to keep the truth like that.'' The man was saying.

''Fine. I got it, if that's all you came to say we're done.'' Sojiro said shortly.

The man just chuckled ''You really are cold. Heh, guess it doesn't matter to me.''

Once the man left, Sojiro happened to notice Namine. ''...So you heard that, huh?''

''Just that last part.'' The girl returned. ''Er, sorry, was I not supposed to?''

''No...it's nothing important.'' He replied after a moment.

''Are you okay?'' Namine asked next, he grunted and made to head to the kitchen. ''Ah, is there anything I can do to help?''

Sojiro's response proved just how that visit bothered him ''Just mind your own buisness, kid. One would think you would have learned to do that by now.''

Namine flinched as a memory came to her mind.

 _'All you did was bring us trouble! Why don't you just mind your own business? You should have learned to by now! This is all your fault!'_

The girl pursed her lips as her hand clenched into a fist. ''Fine. I'm sorry I asked.'' She left a second later.

If she had looked back, she would have seen the regret settle on Sojiro's face before he sighed ''Dammit...''

* * *

''Namine, are you okay?''

The girl stopped walking and exhaled, glancing at Morgana as he poked his head out of her bag. ''Yeah, I...couldn't stay back then. He sounded a lot like my parents after the case.''

The cat blinked ''Wait, they actually said something like that to you? That's lousy! You were trying to help.''

''As far as they're concerned, I just shoved my nose where it didn't belong again and this is what I deserve.''

'That also includes what happened after the incident.' Arsene informed.

''But that's awful! There's no way that's your fault,'' Morgana was appalled. How could they be so apathetic? Their daughter lost two years of her life and this is what they had to say?

''Well, I'm used to dealing with loads of things on my own.'' Namine stated.

''You shouldn't be! It just means they failed you.'' Morgana remarked, he knew she didn't have it easy after the fake case but he never thought things were like this. Especially after hearing about Namine's grandparents...

Just hearing about this aggravated him, how could they?

''There's no helping it, they made their stance clear.'' Namine remarked. ''It's okay, Mona. Things are looking plenty better far as I'm concerned. I'm grateful to have met you guys, you've really helped me.''

The cat smiled ''Glad to hear it.''

''So I'm going to do the same in return. How about we focus on what we can help? You think we should get ready for the next time we go to the palace?''

''Yup, let's go!''

* * *

Iwai cocked his head as he watched Namine look around carefully, having gotten weapons and a few magazines already ''Nice to deal with someone who actually knows their stuff but what're you picking all this up for?''

''Just figure it's for the best...'' Namine stated. ''...I told you, Grandpa Nakamura thought it was for the best for me to learn about guns and we heard people in class are getting kind of paranoid since a couple got robbed. We might be using the weapons in a history project, like a show and tell kind of thing in school. I figure it's just best to have the gun somewhere we know. We're not going to go picking fights but the part about having decent defense works for me. Worst comes to worst, this'll be a scare tactic to help bail us out.''

''Makes sense.'' He commented. ''As long as you don't use them for anything illegal, it's fine in my book.''

''Nah, nothing of the sort.'' Namine assured. ''If it does come to that, I'll let you tie me up and call the police.''

Iwai gave a small smirk, bemused. ''Noted.''

''If it helps I won't tell anyone I bought a thing from you unless you're okay with it.'' Namine offered.

''Much appreciated, kid.''

* * *

''Hmm...'' Takemi leaned back in her seat as she finished examining Namine. ''...good, you're looking plenty better.''

''Thanks to you, that stuff you gave me works great.''

''Good to hear.'' She returned, writing something on a piece of paper and giving it to her. ''I don't have this right now and most of my medicine are prepared by me but you should look into getting this. It'll help you.'' Namine nodded and took the paper. ''So, I've been wondering, what exactly lead you to come to me in the first place?''

Namine tilted her head a bit ''Curiosity, I guess. Sakura-san told me a bit about you that day in Leblanc and when I heard you weren't too far off, I thought it wouldn't hurt to ask for a little help.''

''Ah, you're among the first who didn't come here because of the rumors.''

''Rumors?'' The girl blinked. Actually, looking back, she did notice a couple of people giving her odd looks when they saw her coming here...

Did Takemi have some reputation she never heard about?

''I only do checkups like this depending on the case these days.'' The doctor informed. ''Around these parts, I'm known as the Plague. The title says plenty, huh? You're actually among the few people who come to see me. Seems like people agree my bad rep is completely deserved.''

Namine frowned ''...What happened?'' Takemi raised an eye. ''I know there's more to this. How'd things turn out that way?''

''...There was a medical trial at my old work place, I never backed them on it but the patient died and the next thing I know, the blame fell on me.'' Takemi said after a few moments.

''That's awful...'' The girl trailed off. The doctor had really helped her before, with both advice and medicine. They'd even used some of it in the metaverse and it worked great. She didn't deserve this. ''...wait, so the medicine you gave me...?''

''Yup, I prepare my own meds.'' The doctor confirmed her suspicion.

''Wow...'' Namine could imagine how hard that was. Takemi definitely was skilled. ''...well, I think you're really good at your job. Following your advice was a real big help.''

Takemi's lips twitched ''Good to know. Just think of this as finishing up what I started.''

''Well, I'm grateful...'' Namine blinked as her phone rang before taking it out. ''...oh, excuse me a minute...'' She went out once Takemi waved her off.

''Hi Namine, where are you?'' Ann asked on the other end. ''I came by the cafe but Sakura-san said you left a while ago.''

''Hi, Ann. I'm getting things ready for when we go back to what we started yesterday.''

''Oh, good call! So, I'm going to see Kitagawa-kun in a bit and I was wondering if you'd come. Did whatever you have in mind work?'' Ann inquired.

''Probably not today to the first one and I'm still waiting for the result on that.''

''Okay. I think we were right about the plagiarism.'' The blonde went on. ''I went on the Phan-Site today and there was an anonymous request asking to deal with a powerful artist who steals from others. The artist isn't named but...''

''Yeah, it has to be him.'' Namine concurred. ''Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm going to do just yet but I'll get back to you.''

''Right, later then.'' They hung up.

When she went back to the clinic, Namine was surprised to find an officer inside. The man quickly noticed her ''Perfect, are you the patient she's talking about?'' Namine nodded, giving a bewildered look. ''What the heck is this quack doing exactly? Why are you here?''

''Hey, she's not a quack!'' Namine took a moment to calm herself before responding. ''I was in an accident just a while ago and with the way things went, my recovery's been a bit messed up. I haven't been eating right and I've been feeling sore. Takemi-sensei helped fix that.''

''Oh...then why...?'' The officer seemed confused.

''Someone's messing with you.'' Takemi offered. ''As you can see I'm just running my buisness. I'm not doing anyone harm.''

''...All right.'' He said after a moment, leaving as he muttered. ''Good grief, what's going on lately?''

Namine blinked twice ''Um, what was that about?''

''That would be people's attempt at harassing me.'' The doctor informed. ''Seems some nosy idiot found out about my plans. You just helped derail them, kid.''

''Well good, they've got no business doing that.'' Namine said firmly. ''I'll vouch for you if there's more trouble. It's only fair.''

Takemi seemed surprised but she soon returned ''...Thanks.''

* * *

As luck would have it, they soon learned that Mishima had been able to reach Nakanohara and it turned out he was looking to contact the Phantom Thieves too. The boy got him to agree to meet Namine in the underground mall.

They agreed to be careful about this, Namine adjust her hat to cover more of her features as both came to the conclusion that it was just better to be safe. The girl then sorted a few details out with Mishima. Morgana waited behind a pillar while Namine stood at the place they agreed to meet.

''This really worked after all, good.'' Morgana smirked. ''So Lady Ann and Ryuji went ahead to the shack again, right?''

''Yeah, they should be there from what she said.'' Namine replied. ''Let's just fill them in on what we find.''

Nodding, the cat began to look around. It didn't take him long to spot Nakanohara, who seemed to have noticed Namine.

''Excuse me...this might sound strange but I've been told to look here for someone with your description.''

''And you've got the right person.'' Namine returned.

''That's good.'' The man seemed relieved, observing her curiously.''Sorry, I'm just confused. I never thought the site worked like this.''

''It doesn't but the admin did me a little favor.'' Namine admitted. ''We're looking into something-oh,sorry about this, by the way,'' She gestured to her hat. ''Better to keep somethings to myself, you see.''

Nakanohara nodded, that made sense to him. He figured it was just natural to be cautious with what she and her group did. The hat concealed a good part of her face and most of her hair. It was a rather sunny day and many people were trying to avoid the heat, no one would look twice at her like this. Doing this with some amount of secrecy to blend in but not stand out was smart thinking.

''We started looking into some rumors and things are adding up.'' Namine continued. ''Nakanohara-san, I asked you to come here because this involves you too.''

''Well I figured as much but how?''

''Madarame.'' She said simply, noticing him stiffen in surprise. ''We know there's plenty more to him than he's got people thinking. Now we're putting our focus on how to stop him.''

''That's...that's good to hear...'' The man said at last. ''...so your search let you find out that I was one of his pupils.''

''Yeah, the truth is we happened to run into his current pupil...''

''Kitagawa Yusuke, right?'' He concluded. ''I knew he'd still be there after all...''

''We tried talking to him about this but he wouldn't even hear a thing.'' Namine informed. ''Even though something he did was our clue to the plagiarism, he just insists that it's all plain rumors.''

''I see...I really can't say I'm surprised.'' Nakanohara admitted. ''Well, first I'll tell you straight up. You're on the right track, Madarame pretends to care for his pupils and teach them but what he does is plagiarize their works. This has been going on for years and I never would've approached him if I knew. Some didn't even know at first but then he tried to justify as being in a slump. He just kept saying that everything will be fine once he got out of it. He just got rid of anyone who refused or tried to stand up to him. Madarame made sure to blacklist those who defied him in the art world...like me. He took away our dreams.''

Namine's eyes widened, that must be what the article she found was about. It was just the result of Madarame's schemes...

''He didn't even care at all.'' Nakanohara said bitterly. ''It was bad enough that he hurt so many people, some had their lives ruined because of him. But since he's so famous and powerful in the art world, there was nothing any of us could do about it. One of his former pupils even committed suicide because of him.''

Namine gasped and Morgana froze where he stood. They knew the situation was bad but they never imagined something like this. It was cruel...

''I'm sorry...'' Namine said after a moment. ''...I just thought of asking you since Kitagawa-kun wouldn't help but I'm sorry I made you relive those bad memories.''

But Nakanohara shook his head ''It's fine. Since you mentioned him...I don't think it's that Yusuke doesn't know. It's hard to think that he wouldn't after all this. Once I actually asked him, why he stayed even after all this time. His answer was, 'I'd leave if I could.'''

Now that was definitely suspicious. Yusuke acted like he was pleased to be with Madarame but clearly there was more to it.

''He actually...? I really don't see why he'd stay now...'' Namine shook her head. ''...I can imagine how hard you work on those paintings, he has no right to take them. We even saw what I think might be one of Kitagawa-kun's pieces at the exhibit. He wouldn't say it but it was obvious that seeing it must have been hard.''

Nakanohara scowled ''So he's done it again...You're right, those paintings are a way in which we express our feelings. They're an extension of ourselves. I couldn't stand what Madarame did so I left...'' He clenched his fists. ''...You all really helped me and Kitana out before and I'm grateful. I know this might be asking a lot but please stop him. Before he causes even more damage, far too many people suffered because of him.''

He didn't need to ask though. All he learned left Namine determined to do just that. ''Right. We're not about to walk away from this now. Thank you for the information.''

* * *

They met up with their teammates a while later, all stopping in another part of the mall...

''You were right, Namine.'' Ryuji leaned in his seat with a sigh. ''It was just like yesterday. Nothing changed. He was completely focused on his painting and we could barely get him to say two sentences together.''

Ann nodded ''Did you guys find anything?''

''And how.'' Morgana replied. ''Namine asked Mishima to help us get in touch with Nakanohara, we think he's the one who put up the post you told us about, Lady Ann.''

''Whoa, so you got him to talk? What'd he say?'' Ryuji looked up in interest.

The two blonds were just as shocked to learn of their recent discoveries. Ryuji scowled ''That phony geezer! We have to make him pay!''

''Right, he can't get away with this!'' Ann stated while Namine nodded.

''All right, it's settled. Let's go back to the Palace.'' Morgana called.

* * *

The four thieves made their way to the back of the museum like last time. With the map they procured, they found a short cut to lead to the hall where they had stopped before.

''You can tell if we're close to the treasure, right? How's it looking?'' Panther inquired.

''Not even close.'' Mona replied. ''This place is pretty big and...''

The cat suddenly stopped walking and looked around quickly. Ignoring his teammates' confusion, Mona ran off to their left.

''Hey!'' Skull called before they followed him.

''I knew it...'' They found the cat standing before a golden vase. ''...it's treasure...''

''Oh great, he's got that look again!'' Skull groaned.

''I thought he just said...'' Joker was confused. This was similar to how Mona reacted to Kamoshida's treasure but he had just mentioned how they were no where near it...

''Aww, that's cute...'' Panther remarked, seeing Mona mewling and smiling widely as he walked closer to the vase.

Skull rolled his eyes ''Let's just get...''

As he walked over, Mona suddenly jumped and hugged the vase. This proved to be a big mistake as lights suddenly flashed and an alarm sounded. Lasers suddenly flashed around Mona, who seemed to have been snapped out of his trance.

''Oh no...'' He mumbled, seeing two shadows come charging in.

One of them tried to hit Joker but the girl dodged its weapon and jumped behind him before grabbing its mask and ripping it off. This revealed the shadows to be an Onmoraki and an Apsaras. The latter immediately attacked, leaving them to defend against its magic.

''Try this!'' Panther whipped its face, throwing it back.

''Persona!'' Skull summoned Captain Kidd and went on to cast magic, leaving the shadow floored from the lightning blast.

The Onmoraki clawed at Joker after evading her attacks before flying up and suddenly flying down for a speedy attack. Joker took the brunt of the attack before hitting it with a bullet, leaving to crash down as its weakness was also used.

The Apsaras pulled itself up, it happened to be near another of the security traps so it activated. This caused a bunch of lasers to trap Panther and Skull.

''Dammit, I'll just...!'' Skull raised his weapon.

''Hold on, those guys came once the trap was active, I bet that means touching those lasers is just going to bring a whole lot more enemies our way!'' Mona pointed out.

''Then what do we do?!''

Joker focused on the shadows as they attacked, summoning Jack Frost to use its ice magic and put a stop to this. It worked as the cold winds it conjured distracted and slowed them down.

She ran and hit the Apsaras with her dagger, leaving the weakened shadow to fade away. Wasting no time, Joker hit the Onmoraki with bullets again, leaving it floored. The girl was able to convince it to join them, thus making it into one of her personas.

''Nice work, Joker!'' Panther smiled.

She gave a small smile in return ''Are you guys okay?''

''Just fine, can you get us out of here?'' Mona requested.

Nodding, their leader turned around and started using her third eye. It pointed her towards the ledge, which made her see that there was a door leading to the next area. ''I'll be right back.''

The next room had a pair of guards looking around, making her wonder if they had come because of the alarm.

''It did go off, right?'' She heard one ask.

''Yeah, of course! But there no one here...let's keep looking...'' They began to leave, Joker noted with alarm that they were going to the room the others were in. What to do? Her friends were still trapped, they'd be sitting ducks if they were found now...

Thinking fast, she jumped down and grabbed a nearby vase, hurtling it with all her power to the hall just near this room. The guards paused in surprise, having heard it too.

''Hey, that...''

''I think we've got 'em, come on!''

Joker sighed as the two took off, deciding to hurry up. The third eye lead her to a blue painting which she began to inspect, which let her find the switch behind it. She pressed it and went back to the room, finding that it had freed Skull and Panther.

''Thanks, Joker!'' The latter exclaimed.

The three set out to free Mona next, which they were able to do quickly. The cat joined them, appearing ashamed.

''What'd you do that for? It was stupid!'' Skull chided.

''I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me.'' He admitted.

''It did start off with this thing.'' Joker reminded, gesturing at the vase. ''What's so special about it?''

''Hmm...'' Mona inspected it for a moment. ''...wait, that's it!'' He surprised them again by breaking it with his sword.

A gem floated out of it a second later, leaving everyone besides Mona thrown for a loop. The cat's eyes narrowed ''I knew it...guys, don't let it get away!''

Confused as they were, the rest figured Mona would explain and so they complied. The gem floated up as they trapped it in a corner but Panther stopped its movement by summoning Carmen to surround it in flames.

''That's a treasure demon, a rare shadow...I must have sensed it before. You should try having it join us, Joker. I'm sure it'll be useful!'' Mona suggested.

''Okay, rare as it maybe it's like other shadows, right?''

''Yeah, we'll have to do this the usual way.'' The four held up their weapons.

Skull and Mona attacked first, but it didn't seem to do much damage. The girls summoned Arsene and Carmen, but their magic also left it unfazed. Just then, it moved almost imperceptibly and raised a barrier.

''What gives?'' Skull scowled, deciding to try his own persona next. However, Captain Kidd's attacks also seemed near effective.

''I think it might be that barrier. It barely moved so that's easy to miss...'' Mona remarked, holding up his slingshot. ''...if magic and weapons don't hold work, how about this?''

It worked this time as the pellet seemed to go right through, sending it spinning. The rest decided to follow suit, eventually knocking the treasure demon down.

That seemed to have subdued it as Joker was easily able to add it to her personas afterwards.

The girl seemed curious ''It does give of a different feel from the other personas somehow...Mona, can you tell me about this thing?''

''There's not much I can say, I saw one like this a couple of times in Mementos. I don't think they're much of fighters though. That one was pretty fast and it's really got a strong defense.''

''What's the point of getting it if they're not much fighters?'' Skull questioned. ''They can't really be useufl then.''

''I'm not sure...it felt important.'' Mona said hesitantly.

''Hmm...'' Joker made a note to ask Igor or the twins. ''...we'll figure it out. I can't see them being useless anyway. Let's keep going.''

* * *

The quartet came across a safe room after that. After taking some time to rest, they found their way to the central garden.

This revealed another problem in the form of a giant, complex looking door blocking the way. It wouldn't budge no matter what they did.

''Oh great, what now?'' Panther wondered.

''Hmm...'' Mona's ears twitched as the sound of footsteps reached him. ''...hey, someone's coming. Everybody, hide!''

''Why?'' But Skull was dragged along a second later, the four watched what they immediately knew was Madarame's shadow enter with a guard.

''You're amazing, Madarame-sama! You made sure no one suspected you of a thing!'' The guard commented.

''Hm.'' The shadow smirked back. ''It's all about taking advantage of the media's influence. You'd be surprised how much of a difference an act could do. It's just like with those kids from yesterday. A couple of nice words had them swallowing the whole thing up!''

''Yeah, you played them masterfully.'' The guard agreed.

''Heh, indeed...Abuse? Plagiarism? It's all absurd!'' Shadow Madarame exclaimed. ''There's nothing wrong with using my disciples' work for my own sake. It's the least they can do for my care. They should be grateful, instead I have a whole lot of them rebelling. I should have broken them all in the first place...'' He turned around. ''...at least I still have one left. Yusuke's talented and he feels indebted to me...that's why I'll make full use of him. I'll work him until he dies!'' He and the guard began to walk away. ''This is the way for his work to see the light of day. It's for his sake and also the sake of the art world!''

''You're a genius!'' The guard praised as the shadow broke out into laughter.

This proved too much for Skull and he almost charged towards them but the girls moved to stop him. The boy scowled ''He's just...!''

''We know, Skull, we know...I understand how you feel but this is isn't the way.'' Joker stated.

Panther nodded ''I want to get at him too and we will, definitely, We have to do this the right way.''

* * *

''We've got to stop that bastard!'' Skull growled. ''He doesn't care one bit about his pupils. And what he said about Kitagawa...we've gotta change his heart!''

''I know. I hate walking away after that but Kamoshida's shadow gave us plenty of trouble, I'm not sure we were ready to fight him right then. He'd still have those shadows with him too.'' Panther stated. She had been skeptic as a big part of her really wanted to attack Madarame too but she was quick to note that Joker and Mona agreed with her stance so maybe this was for the best.

''I don't think any of us can stand it, Panther. There's more to this whole mess than just changing his heart.'' Joker remarked.

''This isn't just a mission just to stop Madarame anymore. It's a rescue.'' Mona crossed his arms. ''We're the only ones who can do something about this.''

''Yeah...I just don't get Kitagawa-kun at all. Going by what he told Nakanohara, he definitely knows something's up at least. Why doesn't he say anything?'' Panther wondered. ''Are we missing something else?''

''I don't know. We can try looking into this further.'' Joker suggested. ''What can we do now? With that door in the way...''

''About that...'' The two looked at Mona. ''...it really is best if we go now. I have an idea about that door but if I'm right and I'm almost sure that I am, it's something we can only deal with in the real world. I'll fill you guys in on the details later.''

''All right...''

Their recent success with discovering more info about their target left the four more determined than ever. They were definitely going to stop Madarame, for the sake of all his victims and to make sure he wouldn't hurt anyone else. This had gone on for far more than enough.

* * *

 _And let's stop here!_

 _Well, I hope this was all right. I kept rethinking a bunch of stuff around here but this was the end result. Next time will have work with Namine's personas and another visit to Yusuke, also more confidant related stuff._

 _Notes:_

 _-In case I got anyone confused, the guy Sojiro was talking to is Futaba's uncle. He just got Sojiro worked up which led to things going sour as you saw. Nothing against Sojiro, he's actually one of my favorite characters. This is just my own twist on the hierophant confidant and they'll be fixing things up next chapter. I'm working this into getting Namine to open up more him in the long run._

 _-So I wound up accidentally taking the anime's change with Shadow Madarame. I didn't really remember that until I finished the chapter. Oh well, I can work with this just as well._

 _-I think I heard that Nakanohara contacts them in the game but the details aren't so clear for me. I watched the anime to try help picking up anything that could help here. Honestly, it didn't really work much in the long run... Anyway, I kind of just figured it would make sense to have Namine at least try to be subtle about being a phantom thief._

 _I didn't really see any point in repeating the canon stuff. I'm just having some fun with this fic adding my own little changes into things so I hope it's okay. Really, I don't see any point in writing fanfiction if we don't get to exercise a little creativity. This is essentially me playing around in the Persona verse. This whole fic started because I wanted a change of pace in the first place._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading my work and I hope to hear from you._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 4)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 4)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 3)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 3)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 2)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 1)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 1)_


	12. Chapter 12

Much later after their return from the Palace, Namine woke up in the Velvet Room...

''It seems you wished to return, Trickster.'' Igor remarked.

''Yeah, we're getting ready to deal with that Palace but I need your help.''

''Certainly, if it within my power.''

''Well I'd like a little advice first...'' Namine admitted. ''...we came across this spirit. It somehow feels different from the others. It doesn't seem like much of a battler but I wanted to know more about it. My friend calls it a Treasure Demon.''

''You're fortunate to encounter one of those.'' Igor commented. ''You're correct to assume that it's different from your personas. Their prowess isn't in battle, but rather in what they can do in conjunction with other personas.''

''Other...wait, like that fusion process you told me about?''

''Precisely.'' The man seemed pleased at the way this was going. ''In fact, I think it's a perfect time to give a demonstration. Why don't you start us off, Trickster? Choose one of your personas to merge with the Treasure Demon.''

Namine thought this over, in her previous visit, Caroline and Justine told her that she would need to fulfill a request for them to advance the room's services. To bring them a certain persona and it happened that she found one. Reminding herself that she needed to keep Jack Frost aside for the twins, the girl settled on Mandrake and told them as such.

''Then let's's begin.''

It was then that she saw the twins dragging over items things she hadn't noticed before. The surprise was in just what those things were: two guillotines.

''That's how this thing works?'' The girl blurted, she really didn't expect this. ''Are you sure this is okay?''

Caroline gave her an irritated look ''Don't be weak, Inmate! It's just the way things are.''

Fortunately, Justine was calmer than her twin. Truth be told, she did think some surprise was natural. Besides, when they learned about this, Caroline wasn't half as all right with the process as she was acting now. ''You're kind...or perhaps soft. As you can see, your personas have no qualms in the matter.''

True, neither Mandrake or the Treasure Demon were displaying fear or anything that would prove they had any disagreement here.

''Right...'' Namine let out a breath. ''...sorry, I'm the one looking for help. I should listen more.''

''So long as you keep that in mind.'' Caroline stated. ''Now then...''

They activated the guillotines and in a flash, both personas faded into luminous energy spheres which merged together. There stood a demon with the head of a monkey, a tiger's arms, a raccoon dog's body and a snake's tail.

''I am Nue.'' The chimera-like spirit uttered. ''I shall be your mask from here on out, Wild Card.'' With that, it disappeared.

''W-whoa...''

''Quite effective, isn't it?'' Igor received a nod. ''Did you wish to discuss something else?''

Namine blinked ''Ah, right...well I found a couple of cards back in the Palace. They had what I think are some of the skills we used in the metaverse. I forgot to look into that considering we almost ran into the Palace's ruler around the same time. I don't have any idea what to do with them. Erm, I'm not sure I can them now though...''

''Easy enough.'' Caroline waved her hand in a half-circle and the two cards appeared on her palm, much to Namine's surprise. ''This is nothing for us, Inmate. Those are Skill Cards, they teach personas new abilities. It's actually simple, you just have to choose which of your personas should learn those.''

The cards displayed a green four pointed star with the word Media written and a blue half circle with the word Frei.

After thinking it over some, Namine eventually chose to give the skills to Arsene.

''You're making good progress, I look forward to seeing how you proceed,'' Igor grinned.

''Did you have something else in mind?'' Justine asked.

''Yeah, I need to talk to you two actually. First, I've got the spirit you asked for.''

''Very well, I'll take it.'' The girl inclined her head and Namine felt something shift almost as if in response. ''To think you were able to finish this test...''

''You seem pleased.'' Caroline remarked, noting the slight smile on her twin's face. ''Don't let up, Justine. We're going to make sure the inmate finishes up her penal labor.''

''Of course, it's our duty after all.'' The girl returned before looking at Namine. ''That being said, you've done well. Perhaps our master's growing trust in you is well-founded.''

''Ah, thanks...'' Namine had to wonder about the statement. ''...so what do you mean by penal labor exactly?''

''This was a test, Inmate. We're going to have you run some more requests for us.'' Justine replied. ''Do so and the Velvet Room's special abilities will be revealed. It will surely be an aid to your endeavors.''

''Sounds good.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Strength Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

''We'll see about this again once when you get us a Shiisa with the skill Frei.'' Caroline informed.

The girl nodded back before both looked at Justine as she spoke ''That being said, what exactly did you want our help with, Inmate?''

* * *

Truth be told, Namine wasn't sure how to act around Sojiro considering their exchange yesterday. The man had been on the phone when she got back and she was really too tired to think about it.

As luck would have it, she didn't have much to worry about.

''Hey, ah-sorry about yesterday.'' Sojiro started. ''You just caught me at a bad time...but that's no excuse, I was out of line.''

''That's all right...'' She was admittedly surprised that he had done it but accepted the apology in the good grace it was given. ''...so is everything okay?''

''Yeah, nothing to worry about. It's all settled.''

''So I was wondering...'' Namine said after a moment. ''...I never would have thought curry would go so well with coffee before coming here. What gave you the idea?''

''Funny you should ask.'' Sojiro half-smiled. ''I've enjoyed coffee for years so I've been interested in trying different brews. The curry...the curry is actually a recipe from an old friend.''

''Heeh, then your friend must be an excellent cook, it's great!''

He chuckled ''If you think this is great, you have no idea. I'm not nearly as good as she was.''

''Oh, come on, you're just saying that!''

''No, really. Besides, you wouldn't believe how she cooked this thing up to start with...''

* * *

School passed uneventfully, Namine and Morgana were headed to meet Ann and Ryuji when the latter suddenly raised his head.

''Hey, look!''

It didn't take long to see the reason behind his surprise as there were Maika and Shiho not too far from the school's entrance.

''Suzui-san!''

The two looked at her in surprise before the girl who had her attention gave a small smile. ''Hi, Hyakuya-san.''

''Hi, what were you doing? Wait, are you ready to come back to school now?''

''About that, I...'' Shiho faltered.

Her mother took over, perhaps sensing the difficulties she was having here ''That was the idea but I doubt Shiho's ready just yet. I went to organize a few details with the principal. Shiho did want to go but...well, let's just say the attention from the students we came across wasn't helping.''

''I'm sorry.'' Her daughter mumbled.

''You don't need to feel bad.'' Remembering the rally gave Namine a good guess of what they might have heard. ''I think being apprehensive is understandable after all you've been through.''

''That's just what I said.'' Maika gave her a grateful smile. ''It really doesn't help that she hasn't been able to eat much back then either. We're still working to ensure her recovery. Just take your time, dear.''

''Take it easy.'' Namine advised, seeing that the girl was still troubled. ''If there's anyway I can help just ask. I know Ann would say the same, if she hasn't already.''

''Thank you...'' Shiho trailed off.

''Hey, I'm going to meet up with her and Ryuji now. You can come with, if you want.'' Namine suggested.

''I'd say yes normally but we're on our way somewhere.'' Shiho admitted. She paused to think for a few seconds before adding. ''But...I'd like to see you two. Can we exchange contact information?''

''Sure!'' The girls did just that. ''Just say when.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Temperance Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

Ann smiled when Morgana told her about the meeting ''That sounds great, I'm definitely in!''

''Nice to hear she's getting better but man, you'd think those guys in school would cut Suzui some slack.'' Ryuji remarked.

''I'll say...''

''Oh-ho, there you are!''

The four started at the new voice, looking over to find a young woman was short black hair and brown eyes walking over to them. She began to smirk ''I was wondering how I'd find you.''

Ryuji raised an eye ''Uh, who're you?''

''Ichiko Ohya, I'm a reporter. I noticed you kids here the other day, you're looking into the rumors about Madarame, right?''

''Wait, you too?'' Namine wondered.

''Yup, there's a whole lot of those. People think his reputation's all stellar but I'm not convinced. There are some fishy things about him too so I want to try and find any skeletons in his closet, if you catch my drift.'' She replied. ''So, I'd really appreciate it if you could tell me anything that could help.''

''Oh...'' Ann couldn't help but think that they were definitely closing in on some skeletons.

''Just tell her we're still working on this.'' Morgana whispered.

''...ah, we just wanted to find out if they were true but we're barely getting things together. Just getting started.'' The girl played along.

''That's fine.'' Ohya didn't seem to be expecting an answer anyway. ''Here's my card, just keep it in mind if you do get anything.'' With that, she left.

''...Shouldn't we have told her something?'' Ann asked the others. ''I mean, there's still what Nakanohara told Namine.''

''It wouldn't do any good.'' Aforementioned girl stated. ''He tried to expose Madarame but he just got blacklisted, remember? I highly doubt he's the first one.''

''Right...never mind then.'' The girl sighed. ''Anyway, Mona, you said you'd tell us about that door yesterday.''

''Right, Lady Ann.'' The cat acknowledged. ''I just remembered that I saw a door just like it right in the shack.''

Ryuji blinked ''Wait, in that run down place?''

''Yeah, it surprised me too but that definitely stood out.'' Morgana returned. ''Here's the thing, Madarame has that thing locked so well that he believes it can't be open. Because of that, we can't do anything about that door.''

''So what do we do?''

''The only way I can see would be to open the door in front of Madarame.'' The cat replied.

''Will that really work?'' Ann looked skeptic.

''Trust me, I have it all planned out!''

''But how do we do that though?'' Namine wondered.

''That's just it. I've been thinking it over and the best I can come up with would be to have you two go back to model for Yusuke.'' Morgana stated.

''Wait, what?!'' Ann recoiled in alarm. ''No way!''

Morgana blinked ''Lady Ann?''

''Oh come off it, Ann, there's no other way.'' Ryuji on the other hand, was clearly amused.

''I told you, No!''

Namine gave them a quizzical look ''Ah, what's going on? Ann didn't seem to have much of a problem with it before.''

''Oh, it's just that Kitagawa told her that he wanted to do nude paintings before.'' Ryuji answered without much thought.

''What?!''

Morgana glared at Ryuji ''Why didn't you tell us before?!''

''Sorry, I thought Ann let you know!''

The girl in question glared at him ''I told you, I'm not doing it!''

Namine gave the boy a look ''Paintings as in he expects this of me too? No way!''

''Aw come on, it's the best way to get us in there.'' Ryuji cajoled, Namine simply glared in response. ''You're just overreacting.''

''...I hate to say it but he might be right.'' Morgana's statement drew the girls' ire at him. ''Don't misunderstand, I didn't mean it like that! We do need a way to get back in there without rousing suspicion. If you two keep Yusuke distracted, I can sneak off to open the door. Just give me a hairpin and I can do it!''

''Isn't there some other way?'' Namine looked embarrassed at the suggested prospect. ''Modeling was one thing but he can't just ask people to do something like that.''

''Exactly!'' Ann huffed. ''I'm not doing it!''

''You don't have to get naked for him, you know. Just keep him distracted.'' Ryuji reminded.

''Easy for you to say!'' The girl retorted. ''You're not the one who has to worry about this.''

''Hey, like it or not, we have to use the chance. Do it for justice.''

''You do it then!''

''He doesn't want that.''

''Make it so he does!''

Ryuji grinned ''Oh, I get it, you're scared.'' He ignored Ann's scowl at this and continued ''And you're supposed to be the model. Well, I guess you really can't help, huh?''

''Hey, that's...that's not fair! I just...'' Ann protested.

Morgana knew where this was going ''Wait, Lady Ann, he's...!''

''Just calm down...'' Namine tried to say.

But it was no good ''Argh, fine!'' Ann exclaimed. ''I'll do it, for justice! I'll show you a model's spirit!''

Namine held back a groan ''Mona, normally I wouldn't rush you but is there any chance you can work on the door as fast as you can?''

''Of course. Leave it to me, Namine! I'll make sure you won't have to go through with this.'' The cat assured.

Ann blinked ''Did I just...?''

''Yes, yes you did.'' Namine said flatly, leaving her to groan while Ryuji snickered.

* * *

The four expected surprises the next day but one was found before their plans even got started.

''Lady Ann...what're you wearing?''

That was a fair question as the girl was now dressed in what seemed to be at least a quarter of her wardrobe. There was so much clothes that they made it look like she gained a lot of weight all of a sudden.

''Don't you mean what isn't she wearing?'' Namine sweatdropped.

''It's part of my plan. Everything is fine.'' She stated. ''I'll seduce him with my acting!''

''If you say so...anyway, Ryuji went ahead to the Palace, right?''

''Yeah, he says he'll wait outside and move when it opens.'' Ann confirmed.

''That's one good thing sorted, we can make sure it'll stay open then...'' Namine rang the doorbell.

Yusuke came to answer it moments later and it was clear that he was pleased by their arrival. ''Thank you for coming, please follow me.''

* * *

''I believed you were lying when you contacted me, Takamaki-san.'' Yusuke admitted as he turned to face the girls. ''But I'm truly glad you came.''

''Sorry it was so sudden.'' Ann offered.

''It's no problem. But Sensei will be returning soon.'' Yusuke admitted. ''So, um...I'm sorry if that leaves you both anxious.''

''That's why we're here today, dammit...'' Ann muttered.

Yusuke looked curious ''What was that?''

''N-nothing at all!'' She laughed airily.

Namine decided to change the subject ''You really do like art, huh? You're clearly enthusiastic for this.''

''More than you can imagine.'' Yusuke said wistfully. ''As I've told you before, the Sayuri was what inspired me to go on this path and I've never regretted it since. My intent is to pursue such excellence.''

''Heeh...I think I kind of get how you feel.''

''Oh?'' He gave her a curious look.

''Yeah...one of my old friends wound up going to a music course and she convinced me to join her. I really liked it. There was a bunch of things, the teacher took some time to teach us the piano, partly because she really liked it. But she was open to our suggestions too. Koyuki thought to learn how to sing but it didn't really work out. The whole thing was really fun and I totally got into it.'' Namine recalled. ''A lot's happened since then but...I haven't been able to enjoy it since.''

Ann blinked, she hadn't known that about the girl. But sadly, she wasn't too surprised. It just proved that the events she endured hit her hard.

''I see...'' Yusuke looked sympathetic. ''...that's a shame. I hope you regain your passion soon.''

''Thanks.''

''By the way, Takamaki-san, have you gained some weight?'' Yusuke asked, missing how Namine struggled not to laugh at the question.

Morgana was incredulous, was he serious?

''You think so? I weigh the same as always...Maybe I'm just bloated.'' Ann shrugged.

''So, then...can you, um...get ready here?''

''I...need to take my clothes off, right?'' Ann said after a moment.

''Y-yes, please...'' The artist returned.

''Can you please look the other way?'' Namine asked. Yusuke turned around in response and Ann started to take her clothes off slowly. Namine quickly went to open the door slightly and let Morgana out.

''...That was tight...''

Yusuke's eyes widened a bit but he shook his head ''I'm doing this for art!''

''Don't look over here, okay?'' Ann said. ''Your sensei's coming soon, right?''

''I believe so...''

''Say, do you think we can do this somewhere else?'' Namine suggested. ''It's just that this place feels...really out in the open, you know? Probably because of the big window. Doing this is one thing but now it feels like anyone could see.''

''I-I suppose...'' Yusuke returned. ''...I hadn't thought of that. But if it makes you feel better...''

''It does, totally!'' Ann chimed in. ''A place with a bit more atmosphere would be lovely! How about a room with a lock?''

''A lock?'' Yusuke echoed.

''Must a girl say more...?''

''Please, Kitagawa-kun?'' Namine added. ''We'd just like a place with some more privacy.''

Yusuke seemed to falter ''I understand, Hyakuya-san, it's just that...the only one with a lock is...Sensei's room...''

''Then let's go there!'' Ann exclaimed.

''I can't...for one thing, I don't have the key.'' Yusuke paused and turned. ''...You were wearing all that?''

''D-don't you think it's cold today?''

''I suppose so? I think the sun's about to set...''

''Right? That's why a change of location would be nice!'' Ann went on. ''It's just like Namine said. We could use a bit more privacy, you know?''

''It might make for a better picture if I can brighten my models' moods...''

''Now you're talking!'' Ann beamed.

''They may be willing to try various expressive poses for use in a dynamic composition.'' Yusuke smiled to himself.

''W-what do you mean? What kind poses?'' Ann looked wary.

''W-why don't we start this thing off before deciding on any details?'' Namine offered, trying to remain calm.

''I...suppose that's fair.'' Yusuke returned.

''Ah, don't some artists have an idea of what they would like to do?'' The girl went on. ''You know...like a visual image you want to bring out in the open? I think that might have had to do with why you couldn't do much the other day.''

''Hm...you may have a point.'' Yusuke stopped to think. ''Might you be willing to help me in that front?''

''Erm, I guess so, but how?'' Namine asked in return.

''While you guys work on that, I'll go see if we can find another room.'' Ann told the girl before quickly taking her leave.

* * *

''This is harder than I imagined...'' Yusuke trailed off. ''...by the way, I know you said Takamaki-san felt like taking a walk but isn't she taking too long?''

''Well, I don't know...'' Namine hedged. ''...maybe she's just on the phone.''

''Ah, point taken...well...'' The artist paused. ''...ah, I have it...perhaps I can try painting you as an elf sitting languidly in a beautiful forest...''

''Oh...'' She wasn't sure what to say to that. ''...erm, sure? Whatever you think is best.'' She sat down and reminded herself to relax and keep in character. ''You said languidly...something like this then?''

''Yes, that's excellent!''

* * *

''You left Namine alone in there?''

''Hey, I had to see how you were doing here!'' Ann huffed. ''You really think what we're doing is easy? What's taking you so long anyway?''

Morgana seemed troubled ''It's hard to work with paws...''

''Hurry up!''

* * *

Ann went back a couple of minutes later and learned that Yusuke really was getting into his plans for their paintings. She really felt bad for leaving the girl like that but she had to get away from this for a bit...

''Ah, Takamaki-san, good timing!'' Yusuke exclaimed, seeming animated. ''I was just deliberating over your painting.''

''Oh really? Then we can do it some place else. I found a good spot!''

''You have?'' The artist blinked.

''Yeah, come on, I'll show you!''

''Wait!''

''Ohh, now I'm interested, I have to see!'' Ann chirped as she led the two to the locked door.

''I told you, we can't!'' Yusuke insisted.

Ann walked over ''Still?''

''I'm almost there...'' Morgana trailed off.

Yusuke joined them ''Is something wrong?''

''Oh, umm, soo...what's this room?'' Ann asked.

''It's a storage area for old paintings.''

''Hmm...Kitgawa-kun, why don't we do it here?'' Ann asked. ''I won't be embarrassed if we go somewhere nobody can find us...''

''Only Sensei can do in there.''

''Please? I wanna be alone with you! It's quiet, and we won't be interrupted!''

''...Is he really going to buy that terrible act?'' Morgana wondered.

Ann glared at him ''Stay focused!''

''Hm?''

Namine spoke up then ''Erm, Kitagawa-kun, remember what you said about our moods? Well it wouldn't really do to have your models feeling so uncomfortable about this, right?''

''That's true but you have to understand...'' He started to say, faltering.

''Your teacher's an experienced artist, wouldn't he understand?'' She went on. ''I mean, doing something like a nude painting so openly like that makes me feel really awkward and way embarrassed. I'm only here because I agreed to help before. I didn't even know about your new idea...'' She cast Ann an irritated look. ''...until yesterday.''

The girl mouthed a 'Sorry' in response, seeming sheepish. Namine continued ''So, please? I just can't do it in that room.''

''Come on! It's just frustrating that my feelings aren't getting through to you!'' Ann exclaimed. ''Kitagawa-kun, don't you like girls like me?''

''N-no, that's not true...''

''Then please? Let's continue this inside!''

''S-sure...'' Yusuke shook himself. ''...I mean, no! We can't go in there!''

''It's locked anyway, so...''

Ann pouted ''Fine! This is too embarrassing, I'm gone!''

Yusuke looked taken aback ''But...''

''Let's just do it here, okay?''

''What do I do...?''

''I'm home!'' Madarame called.

The four were startled ''Sensei?''

Morgana smirked as the door unlocked ''I got it!'' Ann turned and walked in with Yusuke hurrying after her just as Madarame arrived.

''What're you doing over there?!'' Madarame demanded.

''It's...it's not what it looks like.'' Yusuke started.

''Hey, those are...!''

He turned at the exclamation just as Ann flipped the lights, revealing the room's contents.

''Those are...'' Yusuke looked stunned. ''...Sayuri?''

''And there's so many of them...'' Namine trailed off.

''I never knew...what on earth...?'' Yusuke wondered.

''Get out!'' Madarame snapped as he walked in.

''Sensei, what is the meaning of this?''

Madarame sighed ''I suppose I can't keep quiet since you've seen this...Truth be told, I'm in severe debt.I hand made those Sayuri copies and have been selling them through a special connection of mine.''

''Why?''

''The real painting was stolen by a pupil a long time ago. They must have begrudged my strictness.'' Madarame replied. ''It was a terrible shock. I've been mired in a terrible artist's block ever since...that's why some of my pupils handed their ideas over from time to time...''

The girls exchanged a look, keeping their expressions neutral. Neither of them were convinced. Even if they hadn't seen the man's shadow, something just didn't seem right here.

''I knew that couldn't go on so I tried to recreate Sayuri.'' Madarame went on. ''All I got in the end was replicas. But then someone came to buy it regardless...'' He lowered his head. ''...it's all my fault. I couldn't pay the price of fame. As expectations of rose, I found that I had no choice but to keep making replicas. I...needed money to further your talents...I ask that you forgive your cowardly teacher, Yusuke.''

''Please don't say that...''

''Something's not right here.'' Namine stated.

''If the original was stolen how did you make copies?'' Ann inquired.

''I...happened to find a finely detailed photograph in an art book.''

''You know that sounds off, right? How does that even work?''

''People who buy paintings have an eye for them, wouldn't they recognize a fake?'' Namine asked. ''Some even have connections. Art buffs would never go for a replica.''

''That's...''

''Actually-why is this one all covered up?'' Ann removed the cloth from the painting behind her, revealing another painting.

Yusuke's eyes widened ''That's the real Sayuri!'' He looked at Madarame. ''You just said it was stolen...''

''That's a replica!'' His teacher retorted.

''No, it's nothing of the sort!'' Yusuke objected. ''I'd recognize this anywhere. This painting kept me going...it helped me make it so far.''

''You're wrong, it's a counterfeit! I bought it after learning of its existence!''

''So the actual artist brought a counterfeit? That's pushing it.'' Ann wasn't convinced in the least.

Neither was Namine ''Why would you do that? It wouldn't be hidden if it was a replica. Besides, you just said you were in debt. That's even less of a reason to do it.''

''Please tell the truth.'' Yusuke requested.

''You too?'' Madarame frowned. He took out a phone and dialled a number. ''I've reported you to my private security company.''

''What?!''

''I had it set up to deal with problematic paparazzi but I never thought it would be handy.''

''Please, wait, let's talk about this!''

''You all can talk to the police.'' Madarame stated.

''Lady Ann, Namine, Let's go!'' Morgana called.

Madarame started ''Where'd that cat come from...?'' This served as enough of a distraction for the girls to take off and Yusuke followed them.

''It's useless!'' He called out.

Madarame tried to follow them, only to be left flummoxed when the four disappeared. ''But how?!''

* * *

''Man...'' Skull glanced at the door. ''...it's good that they got this open but where are they? We were supposed to meet up...''

A scream reached his ears then, making him look up. The boy's eyes widened when he saw Panther and Yusuke falling a second later.

''Whoa, what...?!''

Yusuke looked up and caught Panther as she fell. Mona and Joker appeared seconds later, the former thought fast and summoned Zorro to help catch them.

''Good thinking, Mona.'' Joker praised.

''Hehe, it's nothing!'' The cat beamed as his persona faded away.

''What is all this?'' Yusuke looked around, shocked. ''Where are we?''

''W-would you let go?!'' Panther exclaimed, shoving him enough to fall down. ''Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to...''

''Did you disable the security?'' Mona demanded.

''Yeah, it was easy. I just got enough time to mess the computer up and I left before the shadows got close.'' Skull explained. He didn't like running from a fight but he wasn't so foolish as to assume that he could beat all the guards on his own. ''What happened?''

''Someone tell me what's going on,'' Yusuke frowned. ''What is this place?!''

''Calm down, Kitagawa-kun...'' Panther started. ''...we're inside Madarame's heart.''

''What?'' He clearly didn't believe it. ''Wait...Takamaki-san?'' The teen looked at Joker then. ''...then you must be Hyakuya-san, but I've never seen that cat costume before...''

''It's complicated...'' Joker offered.

''What was she saying about Sensei...?''

''That we're in a place filled with his desires.'' Mona replied. ''This is his Palace, it shows the true Madarame's character.''

''A garish place like this? Absurd!'' Yusuke protested. ''You're out of your minds!''

''You saw what happened before we came. Shouldn't those replicas prove that Madarame's not what you think he is?'' Panther asked.

''This can't be true...'' Yusuke said quietly.

Joker sighed ''Come on, we'll let you see for yourself.''

* * *

They first took him inside, keeping careful since the security level was very high and they had to watch out for Yusuke. Panther took time to tell him about the hall with the paintings as they started to fill him in.

''We don't have the time to explain everything, we're just here to let you see it for yourself. Long story short, we're the Phantom Thieves. This is the Metaverse. It's a world of cognition which shows the truth about people.'' Mona explained.

''I know it's crazy but you gotta admit it can't be a lie since you're here.'' Skull offered.

''I...yes, that's true...'' Yusuke trailed off. ''...but why are you so sure Sensei's a terrible person? That place proves that he remembers his pupils.''

''We were asked to help stop him.'' Joker informed as they headed out to the garden. ''Nakanohara-san wants him to answer for his actions.''

''Wait, you mean...!'' It was clear that Yusuke recognized the name. ''...so he never forgot...?''

''For sure. He wants us to help you.'' Mona recalled.

''Say, Kitagawa-kun, can you be honest with us?'' Joker inquired. ''If you believe in Madarame so much, why did you tell him that you'd leave the shack if you could?''

Yusuke stiffened ''T-that's...''

''Wait, he said that?'' Skull cocked his head. ''...You definitely know something's up with that guy, right?'' Yusuke just looked away while Panther watched in concern. ''Hey, come on...''

''Skull, stop.'' Joker cut in. ''I'm sorry, I know this is hard and your situation is probably more complicated considering that he helped raise you. But the fact is, you needed to hear about this.''

''You can't keep avoiding the truth.'' Mona added. ''Madarame hurt far too many people. One of them even committed suicide because of his twisted schemes. That's just why we're here to stop him.''

''Yeah, our goal is to stop the rotten adults oppressing others and to stand up for those who can't fight for themselves.'' Panther stated.

''My, such lofty goals from a bunch of thieves.''

Shadow Madarame walked out of the shadows, having been obscured by the gate before the group.

''I finally found you. You won't get away.''

''S-Sensei...'' Yusuke appeared stunned. ''...is that you?''

''Those shadows sure have huge egos.'' Skull scowled. ''First we get a king and now a shogun...''

Yusuke stepped back ''This...this can't be real...''

Shadow Madarame snorted ''My act is all a farce. A famous person living in that shack? I have another home under a mistress' name, of course. To think you actually believed that. So naive!'' He laughed.

Yusuke cringed ''Why was the Sayuri in your storage? Why'd you make copies?! Tell me the truth!''

''Foolish child, you don't see it? That's all a rumor. It was all planned out.''

''What do you mean?!''

He grinned ''Picture this...I found the real painting but it can't go public...you can have it for a special price though.'' His grin widened. ''How's that for preferential treatment?! Art snobs will eat it all up!''

''No...'' Yusuke fell to his knees, overwhelmed. He didn't want to believe it, but the truth was laid out. This was his teacher...the man he considered a father...

''Hey, you all right?'' Mona asked as the four looked at him on concern.

Shadow Madarame went on, seeming on a roll ''The worth of art is subjective...Thus this is a legitimate business transaction! Not that a brat like you could come up with such a scheme!''

Skull growled ''You keep goin' on and on about money, like a broken record. No wonder you ended up with this disgusting museum!''

''You hurt and betrayed all the pupils who should have been able to rely on you.'' Joker stated, glaring at the shadow. ''You destroyed their dreams, all for money? You're no artist, you're just a fraud.''

''That's right, you just plagiarized others' work! You're downright rotten!'' Panther added.

But he could clearly care less ''Art is nothing but a tool for money and fame. The apprentices are just tools, a means to an end.'' He looked down at his student. ''You were a big help to me, Yusuke...''

Mona's eyes narrowed ''There, that's your teacher.''

''How could you?!'' The teen demanded. ''What about the people who believed in you?!''

Shadow Madarame was still unfazed ''I'll tell you now, Yusuke. If you wish to succeed in this world, don't defy me.'' He chuckled. ''Do you believe anyone could find success with my objection holding them down?''

Yusuke lowered his head, still seeming pained ''To think...such a wretched man was caring for me...''

''Oh, you though I took you in out of the goodness of my heart? Plucking talented, troubled students allows me to take their ideas...'' His expression changed into one with a malicious smirk. ''...it's much easier to steal the futures of children who can't fight back.''

''So it was true, he sees the students as nothing more than live stock.'' Mona recalled the statue from their previous visit.

''That's all they are!'' The shadow confirmed. ''Live stock are killed for their hide and meat, this is no different! I tire of this little chat.'' He snapped his fingers. Five guards appeared around him. ''It's time that I dispose of you!''

''...Unforgivable...'' Yusuke rose to his feet, making everyone look at him. ''...It doesn't matter who you are...I won't forgive you!''

''So this is how you repay me for keeping you around? Men, get rid of them!''

Then to everyone's surprise, Yusuke laughed.

''To think...I avoided this for so long...I wanted to believe it was all false.'' He said quietly. ''I had clouded my vision...My eyes were truly blind...Blind and unable to see the truth behind this man...! But no more, you won't get away with this!''

'Have you finally come to your senses?'

Yusuke froze at the voice, his eyes opening wide. He gripped his head as waves of pain flew throughout his whole body.

'How foolishly you averted your eyes from the truth...' The voice went on as Yusuke tried to get rid of the terrible pain.

'A deplorable imitation indeed...Best you part with that aspect of yourself!' Yusuke fell to knees. 'Let us forge a contract...I am thou, thou art I...The world is filled with both beauty and vices...It is time you teach people which is which!'

Yusuke looked up, a white fox mask covered most of his face. He grasped the mask and removed it ''Very well. Let's begin, Goemon!''

A vortex of azure and white flames materialized around him as power surged forth. A kabuki dancer appeared hopping on one of his wooden geta. He wore blue robes with a red jump, a white and blue knot was tied at his back. He held a large white pipe in one hand as he reached out, crackling with power.

Yusuke was now clad in a dark blue jumpsuit that had a white collar, arm bands and boots along with a white and blue make-shift belt and a fox's tail hanging behind. He glared up at Shadow Madarame as he raised a hand ''A breathtaking sight...imitations as they may be together they make a fine spectacle. Though the flowers of evil blossom, let it be known...'' He swiped his hand, sending a fierce blizzard that killed the shadows. ''...Abominations are fated to perish!''

''Whoa...that was great,'' Panther remarked.

''Now that's showing 'em!'' Skull grinned.

Shadow Madarame grit his teeth ''Don't think this is over! Guards!''

More shadows appeared at the call, surrounding the group of five. They convulsed, revealing to be two Ippon-Datara and three Koppa-Tengu.

''Show some respect, intruders!''

''You are in Madarame-sama's wondrous presence!''

''Oh, please! Carmen, Maragi!'' Panther summoned her persona, with the red clad dancer summoning flames that hit all the shadows.

''I learned much from you Madarame...in order to ascertain authenticity, one must be dispassionately unrealistic. Now I see the truth about you with no reservations!'' A katana appeared in Yusuke's hand and he used it to slash a tengu, leaving it to fall down before he attacked again.

Joker tanked one of the Tengu's attacks before shooting at it, forcing it back. ''Arsene!''

The gentleman thief appeared before her, using Cleave upon command to throw the Tengu back. Skull shot a round of bullets from his gun to finish off the shadow.

Mona avoided one of the Ippon-Datara's hammer before slashing its chest, leaving it recoil and shove him back. ''Time for my persona!'' Zorro appeared behind him. ''Lucky Punch!''

''Eiha!''

''Garu!''

Zorro's winds and Arsene's curse magic combined to hit at the same time, destroying the shadow.

Yusuke cut the last Tengu down with a Giant Slice while Skull called upon Captain Kidd to Headbutt the Ippon Datara and Panther gunned it down. Arsene blasted it with Frei and Yusuke finished it off with a final slash, leaving it to fade away.

''Yusuke, you fool, you've thrown your bright future down the drain!'' Shadow Madarme jeered as he left. ''I'll destroy your chances to become an artist!''

''Madarame!'' The teen shouted back, making to chase him. He was forced to stop as a feeling of sudden pain and exhaustion filled him. ''Get...back here!''

''Whoa, easy.'' Skull helped him up.

''Awakening a persona is always hard. You're bound to be pretty tired.'' Mona stated.

''Let's go back, we'll explain everything once we're out of here.'' Joker promised.

* * *

 _Well, I'll stop here._

 _So how was it? I hope it was good. I've been thinking a lot about my plans for this story and trying to decide what would be for the best._

 _The thing is, I just can't fit Kawakami in the confidants. From what I've seen, it all revolves around her work as a maid. I just can't picture that playing out with Namine. I have a different plan for her but yes, the jerks that are blackmailing her are definitely going to be stopped. Then I thought of how I changed things up with Shiho and I figured this would work better. I even have a couple of ideas of how to fit her with other confidants too._

 _Through all that plans, I have to admit I did wonder if I should try having a gender bent Hifumi (you know to give more romance options from the confidants) but that's still up for debate...I don't know if I can make it work._

 _I would love to see some feedback, it'd be nice to know how you all think I'm doing so far._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 4)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 4)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 3)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 3)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 2)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 3)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 2)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 1)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 1)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 1)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Well, here we are. Heh, writing this it turning out to be more fun than I thought._

 _Vangran: Oops, I missed that. Sorry, Ohya is a girl. Thanks for pointing the typo out!_

* * *

As promised, after leaving the Palace, the group told Yusuke about everything, the reasons behind their group's formation and the current situation. Just to be safe, they headed far away from the shack and stopped at a cafe.

''I never would have thought any of this to be possible...'' Yusuke trailed off.

Ann leaned back in her seat ''Yeah, that's pretty much how we felt.''

''And Morgana's in this form due to irregularities in the metaverse?'' He clarified.

''Yup, I'm looking into getting my real form back.'' The cat met his gaze. ''Since we're all for exchanging info, you did know the truth about Madarame, right?''

''Yes...'' The artist closed his eyes for a moment. ''...I simply didn't want to face reality. I refused to believe that my teacher, the man I came to regard as my father was so depraved. And to think Natsu-san was the one who asked you to stop him...I truly thought he forgot about me.''

''So you're friends with the guy, huh?'' Ryuji cocked his head.

''I suppose...He was the last pupil aside from me. I came to believe he wouldn't want a thing to do with the art world after all that happened.'' Yusuke returned. ''So you plan to change Madarame-sensei's...Madarame's heart like you did with that P.E teacher.''

''Yeah, like we all know, Madarame's so renowned in the art world, speaking up just won't do any good. We can't get proof, and I highly doubt Nakanohara-san's the only one who...wait,'' Namine raised an eye. ''So you know what Madarame said about our plan?''

''As a matter of fact yes, I got in touch with him just before we arrived.'' Yusuke informed. ''He's under the impression that I went to chase you two, he was complaining about the security company's failure. Though now that you mention a plan, that does explain the odd things I noticed earlier...'' He glanced at Ann. ''...that was quite the trick.''

The girl frowned ''This wasn't our idea, isn't that right, Ryuji?''

''Hey, what could we have done?!'' The boy said defensively. ''He's the one who was making things hard!''

''So you really knew something was off.'' Morgana remarked.

''Yes, I suppose in my excitement I simply looked past the oddity.'' Yusuke admitted. ''Though I haven't given up on the paintings yet.''

''Not happening.'' Namine said flatly.

''What she said, forget it.'' Ann agreed, to his dismay.

Morgana cast the artist an unimpressed look while Ryuji rolled his eyes ''Let it go.''

''Moving on, now that you do know, what're you going to do?'' The feline demanded.

''Please let me help you. My eyes have been opened and I feel I have to do something. I want to stop him, for all those he hurt and...it's the best I can do.''

''Welcome to the Phantom Thieves!'' Ann smiled.

''You better not slow us down,'' Ryuji added teasingly.

''I'll do my best. Thank you.''

* * *

The next day...

Madarame was still determined to do something about the break in. It would seem that he was planning to do take legal action after the exhibit at the risk of the word getting out. It only went to show how much he wished to keep hidden. The Phantom Thieves agreed to change Madarame's heart two days before the exhibit ended...

''We better be careful.'' Morgana cautioned. ''I saw that class president talking to some of Ryuji's classmates. It sounds like she's still investigating us.''

''I say let her, what do we care? She's not going to find a thing.'' Ann huffed. ''Anyway, we're going to the Palace tomorrow, right?''

''Y-yeah...'' The feline gave her an odd look. ''...are you okay, Lady Ann?''

''Fine, she just pisses me off.'' The girl ground out. ''Nice of her to act _now._ It's not like we're the bad guys, if the school had stopped Kamoshida, we wouldn't have had to do a thing.''

''True...''

''Well, there's no point worrying about it.'' Namine added. ''It'll just look more suspicious if we are. Let's focus on the Palace now.'' Ann and Morgana nodded back. ''So, first-Ryuji?'' She tilted her head a bit, picking up on how the boy appeared distracted. ''Ryuji?''

''Hey!'' Ann snapped her fingers in front of the boy, making him look up at her with a start.

''? What?''

''Jeez, what're you spacing out for?'' Morgana demanded.

''O-oh, sorry...what were you talking about?'' He returned.

''Our plans for dealing with Madarame! What's the matter with you?''

''Nothing, nothing, never mind...''

Ann raised an eye ''You sure?''

''Yeah! So we're goin' soon?''

Namine looked back at the corner he had been staring at before, blinking in surprise when she saw two of the former track team members leaving the lunch hall. Now having a suspicion of what was wrong the ex-athlete, she decided to check later and moved things along.

''Tomorrow, actually. Are you still up for taking Yusuke to Untouchable like you said this morning?''

* * *

''Hey, Namine...'' The girl looked at Morgana. ''...look at that.'' He gestured at a corner nearby on their way back, where an officer seemed to be arguing with a man. ''Isn't that the same officer who came when we were at Takemi's before? They were louder before, I know I heard her name.''

''Yeah, it's him...'' Namine frowned a bit. After a moment of thought, she headed up the street to Takemi's clinic.

* * *

''Sheesh, this is all just a joke!'' They heard someone cry out as Namine began opening the door. ''Why is someone like you even keeping this up? You have some nerve, after making that mistake!''

Takemi frowned ''...Is that all you're here to say? I don't owe you any explanation.''

''What was that?'' The man paused as he happened to notice the newly arrived Namine then. ''Oh...you fit that description I was told. You must be the girl the officer was talking about. Are you really going to ask this no good hack for help again?''

The girl frowned ''Takemi-sensei's a good doctor. Who are you anyway?''

The man chuckled, sneering as he continued ''I'm Oyamada, the director of the hospital where she used to work. Of course, that's before she made that blunder.'' He didn't miss the girl's expression changing. ''Oh, I guess you do know something about that. Did she ever tell you the full story? We fired her because the patient died thanks to her decisions.'' Namine's eyes widened and she looked at Takemi, who remained silent. ''I had a feeling you didn't know. Well, it would make sense for her to clam up now. She should be ashamed after all and yet instead of giving up like she should have, she's here trying to succeed.''

''What's wrong with that?'' Namine demanded, no doubt the man was a big part of the harassment Takemi mentioned before. ''If anything, your actions are the questionable bit here. Do you get a kick out of putting her down like this or something? This isn't right!''

''Oh? Then why isn't she doing a thing?'' Oyamada returned. ''She and I both know otherwise.''

''You think this justifies what you're doing now? If she keeps going, she'll make progress and help ensure nothing like that disaster of a trial happens again.'' The statement made Takemi look at her in surprise.

Oyamada scoffed ''That's highly optimistic, seeing as it assumes Takemi can pull it off. She'll always be a failure.'' With his piece said, the man left.

''Good riddance...'' Morgana muttered.

Takemi exhaled ''He was right, you know...'' The two turned to her as she continued. ''...it's true that I did think that medicine was a good idea. I helped create it. So if it hadn't been for me...''

''Don't listen to him, we know there's more to this thing.'' Namine cut in. ''He's the one in the wrong here. There's nothing wrong with you wanting to remain a doctor.''

''I think it's just partly me being stubborn...'' Takemi said. ''...I don't want to leave things like this. I don't care what they think of me but...if I can perfect that medicine...''

''You should just keep trying, it's obvious you really want this. Why not just go for it?''

Takemi smiled after a moment ''...Thanks, kid.''

* * *

''So you remember our lesson from the other day, right?'' Sojiro received a nod. ''Okay then let's see it.''

He had started teaching her about making coffee and his work around Leblanc a couple of days but there hadn't been much time to go further.

As Namine set about following his instructions from memory, she was startled by the sound of a phone going off.

Sojiro held his head up and answered ''Hello...?'' He frowned moments later. ''You again?...'' His expression darkened. ''...Fine.''

Namine blinked as she saw the man picking up his coat ''Sakura-san?''

''Ah, sorry. The lesson's off, I've gotta see to something.''

''Okay but...is there some kind of problem?''

''Nothing to worry about, this isn't the first time. I'll sort this out quick.''

''If you say so...'' Namine trailed off.

''This little setback aside, just make sure you don't forget what I showed you.'' Sojiro cautioned.

''Yes, sir.'' Namine gave a mock salute, eliciting a smirk. ''I'll work on making the coffee tomorrow night to prove it.''

''Heh, deal. Just close up when you're done here, nice to have a hard worker around. I'll leave things to you.''

''Right!''

* * *

The next day...

Yusuke glanced at the museum with obvious distaste ''To think this was the truth about Madarame...He is quite the actor indeed.''

''Right? He's just a money grubbing asshole.'' Skull remarked.

''That's going to end once we're through with him.'' Mona promised as they began to walk. ''By the way, we need to choose Yusuke's code name.''

Skull looked exasperated ''I tried telling him yesterday! He's being ridiculous about it.''

''What do you mean?''

''Yes, what's so ridiculous about wanting my code name to be Da Vinci?'' Yusuke added.

''Da Vinci?'' Panther blinked. ''...I think that's what he's talking about. Why don't you try something a little...simpler?''

''He said something similar but I'm not convinced...Skull's favorite suggestion was Aburage.''

''That's even worse!''

''Hey, he's got a fox tail so why not?'' Skull remarked.

''So you picked names that relate to you, in a sense?'' Yusuke clarified.

''Yeah, it just depends on the situation more or less.'' Joker replied.

Mona sighed ''Guys, if we do it that way, how about Fox?''

''Oh, that's good!'' Panther stated. ''What do you think, Yusuke?''

''Hm, I suppose that's all right. Fox it is then.''

* * *

The entrance hall seemed empty at first but the patrolling shadows soon made their presence known. Deciding to minimize the opposition they would face, Mona distracted one of the shadows by hitting its head with a pellet making it turn. This gave Joker enough window to sneak behind it and rip its mask off. The shadow convulsed and shook, soon revealing a Jack Frost and a pair of Makami.

The first tried to hit Fox with ice magic, only to be surprised when that had little effect, but this gave the latter enough room to slash it.

Joker dodged the oncoming Makami's attack ''Persona!'' Nue appeared before her in a flash and rammed the shadow on command.

''Wasn't it a different one before?'' Fox wondered.

''We'll explain later, come, Zorro! Garu!'' Mona called.

The winds sent the Jack Frost flying, letting Panther whip it as it fell down, fading away.

''I am thou.''

''Captain Kidd!''

Goemon used Vicious Strike while the pirate nailed the remaining shadow with a Zio, leaving it stunned and Mona ran to cut it down.

* * *

They battled a few more guards as they kept going through the halls of the museum...

''Ah, so that's why she is Joker. What a useful ability.'' Fox mused.

Mona grinned ''I know, right?''

''The lessons can wait, right? We should just focus on getting through here.'' Skull stated.

''True. I'm sorry for the distraction.''

''There's nothing wrong with wanting to know more. That's partly how we learned too.'' Panther reminded.

''Exactly. Don't mind him, Fox.'' Mona waved it off. ''At least you're actually trying to understand and not taking everything at face value. You're picking things up a lot faster too, he could learn a thing from you.''

''Oh, lay off!'' Skull retorted. ''I just don't want to make things more complicated!''

''Guys, can you not do this now?'' Panther deadpanned while Joker sighed, seeing how Mona seemed ready to fire back. ''If anything, your little spats are definitely just going to get us in trouble.''

''If you have this much energy, put it into what we're doing here.'' Joker suggested, eliciting nods from the two in return.

The next room they arrived lead towards three adjacent paths. Mona frowned a bit ''We should be careful, I hear some guards but I can't tell where they are...''

''Something's off-oh!'' Panther noticed the vent. ''Mona, you think you can check that?''

''Sure. Just a second though, Joker?'' Mona looked at their leader.

The girl seemed to be thinking ahead as she was already using her third eye. ''This is odd. It's pointing towards the vent but something doesn't seem right...it's kind of hazy, I can barely see one room and there's a bunch of shadows there. They're gathered around something I can't really make out.''

''Then I'll go see.'' The cat stated, jumping up and pulling the vent's cover before climbing in.

He was beginning to get an idea about just what was wrong here when he reached the other end of the vent, which lead to the room Joker mentioned. As she said, there were give guards here, all standing near a glowing cube that seemed to be letting off some haze.

 _'The distortions are stronger here...'_ Mona noted. _'...it feels like that cube's related. Well, let's see...'_

The feline took out a smoke bomb he made the other day and discreetly moved the vent's cover, just enough to let it fall. Soon, the room was covered with the substance, leaving the shadows disoriented. Mona made full use of the chance by pushing the vent's cover away to let him aim his slingshot and fired a few pellets which destroyed the cube.

The cat went right back, though he couldn't help but notice that something seemed to shift.

''Hey, what did you do?'' Skull asked. ''The place just got all weird and then there was only this one hall now!''

''I made sure we avoided a trap.'' Mona returned proudly. ''Joker's third eye was vague because there was an illusion around here. I bet we would've triggered the set up if we had walked in.''

''Nice going.'' Joker smiled.

''Yeah, good job, Mona!'' Panther added, making the feline beam.

* * *

''Maragi!''

The High Pixie shadow was sent reeling by the fire spell, giving Joker time to shoot it down. Mona and Fox slashed an Onmoraki shadow before the latter proceeded summon Goemon to hit it with ice magic. Captain Kidd slammed the last shadow into a wall to end the battle and in the same time, Joker convinced the High Pixie to join them.

Skull let out a breath ''Man, is it just me or are there more shadows than before?''

''No, you're actually right. I think it's because the distortion's getting stronger.'' Mona stated.

''Fox?'' Panther tilted her head a bit, noticing how the teen was silent. ''You okay? Should we get some rest?''

''No, I'm fine. Thank you.'' He assured. ''I suppose it's just a bit...much, seeing all this.''

''Oh...'' They had passed the hall which had the statue and so it was easy to imagine how this was hitting him.

''It's a real eye opener, I bet.'' Skull said after a moment.

''Indeed.'' Fox agreed. ''I never thought I'd come across such a repulsive museum. To think he truly saw art as something so fake and tasteless for so long...''

''You really do think about art all the time, huh? That's kind of impressive.'' Skull half-smiled.

''Well, look at it this way, you'll be helping open Madarame's eyes and hopefully the students he hurt soon.'' Joker remarked. Remembering something Nakanohara said before made her add. ''Maybe we can even try to make sure they get their paintings back once this is all over.''

The thought hadn't crossed Fox's mind but he liked it. ''That would be quite nice, actually...'' He walked closer to a painting. ''...there was something I meant to ask before those shadows found us.''

''What is it?''

He touched a painting, leaving them surprised to see how it seemed to go right into it. ''What do you make of this?''

''The hell?'' Skull uttered.

Panther slowly poked her hand at it before taking a closer look ''Guys, I think we can really go in this thing...''

''That's nuts...''

''Well, let's just try. We might find something useful.'' Mona prompted.

The painting lead the five thieves into a big hall that seemed just as golden as the museum's entrance.

''Just when I think it couldn't get more garish...'' Panther muttered in distaste.

''What do you expect from that fraud?'' Mona frowned. ''Careful, the distortion's even stronger here...''

''Is this why this area seems so odd?'' Fox gestured at the stairs, which were rather blurred out, the feline nodded in return.

''You know, it doesn't look like this place is on the map. Maybe we found a shortcut.'' Skull suggested.

''It'll only count if we can make use of it...'' Mona pointed out as they approached a gate. What was odd was that the gate simply warped them to another part of the same area. ''...what the...?''

''You're kidding me...'' Skull decided to try the door behind them, only to be sent right back to the spot where they stood before. ''...what gives?!''

''There must be another set up...'' Fox mused.

''This way.'' Joker pointed to the stairs on their far left, which led to a higher platform. Since they knew just how she figured it out, they quickly followed her.

Panther looked around, there was nothing here except three paintings and a gate similar to the ones below. ''So what now?''

Joker was confused, since the third eye had actually been pointing her towards the paintings. But why?

She went to examine them, quickly finding a surprise. ''Hey, those are Sayuri paintings...''

''More copies?'' Panther wondered as the rest joined her.

''Just another product of Madarame's cognition. Though it isn't too surprising, he was awfully careful with the real replicas...'' Mona remarked. ''...Joker, is this what you felt before?'' The girl nodded. ''Then it might be a way to help us move on.''

''Easy to say, but how?'' Skull inquired. ''They all look the same to me...''

''Then you should look closer.'' Fox advised. ''There are differences, subtle as they may be. Why don't we try finding the closest one to the original and see what happens?''

''Good enough.'' Mona nodded.

They paused to get a closer look and Joker spoke after a bit ''Isn't it this one?'' She pointed at the middle painting. ''I think that tree actually had branches in the original too.''

''Correct. Good eye, Joker.'' Fox praised, picking up the painting. The item suddenly lit up and floated into the gate nearby, making it glow.

* * *

They were lead to another hall and a couple of similar puzzles but they were able to find the paintings that resembled the original the most. Thus they were able to find their way out. The painting took them to another hall.

''Mona, you know if we're closer to the treasure?'' Panther wanted to know.

The cat made to respond but then he was distracted when a sudden light came their way. The source turned out to be a flash light held by a patrolling guard.

''Stop, intruders!''

Soon the group of five was surrounded by an Onmoraki, two Apsaras, a Makami and an Inugami.

The Inugami lunged at Panther and one of the Apsaras charged while the Makami began casting...

Skull called out to his persona, having the pirate rampage to stop the oncoming assault. Panther flogged one of the Apsaras with her whip while and the Onmoraki lunged, the remaining shadows attacked as well. The Makami's spell almost blinded Fox and Mona, while Joker defended herself against the Onmoraki and Panther barely dodged the charging Apsaras while the other almost knocked Skull down.

As they began to attack again, Joker and Fox ran to attack with their blades, cutting the Onmoraki twice before the two Apsaras made to attack.

''Persona!''

Jack Frost and Goemon appeared, both using Bufu in tandem to freeze the shadows before Fox and Goemon attacked again and Joker shot the Apsaras down. Likewise on the other side, Panther blasted the Inugami with her gun and Skull made use of this to bash it. Mona summoned Zoro, catching the remaining shadow off guard with a Lucky Punch before charging in to cut it down and end the battle.

It was then that he spotted a couple of treasure chests and went to open them. He found a new dagger and a Wind Ring.

''Well, this is lucky. Here you go, Joker.''

''Thanks.'' The girl replaced her weapon with the new find before they left.

The first room they arrived it was lined up with laser beams. Mona grimaced ''I bet it's like that first trap we came across...''

''You mean it'll get more shadows on our backs if we set those off? But how do we get through here?'' Panther wondered.

''Let's just go, we can take them down.'' Skull said after almost a minute.

''Would you take this seriously? The problem is that all the chaos that would cause is definitely going to bring about more enemies. We can't fight every single shadow in our way, we'd just wind up exhausted.'' Mona pointed out.

''He just doesn't have a way to help.'' Panther remarked.

Skull gave her a look ''Fine, then you figure this out!''

''Well, I-I didn't say I had one either!''

''Hmm...'' Fox's eyes narrowed. ''...those lasers may be crossing the room's perimeter but they're not as accurate as they seem. Look.''

As they followed his line of sight, it became clear that this was true. For the area around the opposite entrance was almost untouched and they seemed to stop at a certain point. They barely touched the walls.

''Oh, good call! Let's go about this carefully.'' Joker advised.

With that, the five thieves stuck to the walls as much as they could and slowly but surely advanced through the area, safely bypassing the trap and heading into another room.

''Now that I think about it, infiltrating and robbing a museum...that's practically a phantom thief staple, huh?'' Panther mused.

''I know, right? That's just all the more reason to get fired up and do this!'' Skull exclaimed.

They stopped near a large painting in the center of the room. ''You think...'' Panther touched the painting, only for her hand to go right in. ''...so it really is like that one.''

''Then let's see what we find this time.'' Mona said and they jumped in.

* * *

The five soon found themselves in a long, dark and seemingly plain area. Unlike the other one, this didn't even have any gates. Something that made them rethink their decision and agree that it was best to head back, but just then...

''So you're the intruders who were troubling our Master.''

A tall figure appeared before them, its eyes narrowed as it went on. ''Lowly thieves, I'll dispose of you for Madarame-sama!''

''You can try, but you'll fail!'' Mona retorted, brandishing his scimitar.

The shadow, Bringer of Misfortune quickly swiped at them, leaving them to defend. It then proceeded to cast magic, which Panther tried to stop but her weapon seemed to have no effect as it ignored the attacks and continued.

''What the-?''

''I'll try!'' Skull clubbed the shadow's leg, but again, it didn't so much as flinch before it hit him back. The teen reacted fast and held up his club to defend but the shadow kept going and forced him back.

The Bringer of Misfortune went back on the offensive, trying to punch and kick the five thieves, who were forced to guard or get out of the way when possible. The moves were erratic but with the shadow's size, its reach made the whole thing all the more dangerous.

Once it stopped to cast, Joker called Arsene to slow it down with Sukunda and Fox followed up with his own persona to cast ice magic.

''I see, it practically negates physical attacks but magic works just fine.'' Mona concluded.

''In that case, Captain Kidd!''

''Carmen!''

''Zorro!''

In a minute, the shadow was assaulted by a lightning, fire and wind magic which almost made it hit the wall. It pulled itself up and made a slashing motion with its hand, releasing blasts of power that rained upon the group a second later.

''Damn, that came out of nowhere...'' Skull grunted.

Another surprise came a moment later, once Joker had Arsene hit the shadow with a Frei spell, sending it reeling. Fox started ''Was that...?''

''Yeah, we nailed a weakness. Let's keep it up!'' Panther exclaimed.

The shadow held up its arms, and glowed red before going to attack Joker, who dodged in time but was unable to avoid the followup.

''You all right?'' Mona went to help her.

''Y-yeah, I think it buffed itself up...'' She steadied herself, wincing before he started healing her.

The Bringer of Misfortune summoned another round of blasts, hitting the area in front of it with such force that it created a dustcloud. It took a step forward, waiting to see what it would find. Then...

''Let that thing have it, Arsene!''

'Gladly.' The gentleman thief flew closer to the shadow and blasted it with two consecutive Frei spells, throwing it back.

Skull decided to follow up ''Blast away, Captain!''

The pirate persona summoned lightning that fell on the shadow's head, leaving it stunned. Taking the opportunity, Fox, Panther and Mona all followed along and it was soon slammed by ice shards, fire waves and a strong gale. They attacked together once again, taking the enemy down.

* * *

The group of five was able to find a path out of the painting after that, taking them into the main treasure hall. Luckily, Mona spotted a safe room, which they proceeded to use for a little rest and planning.

''Well, one thing's for sure. We're really a lot closer to the treasure.'' The feline thief stated.

''Seriously? Great!'' Skull grinned.

''Is everyone okay?'' Joker inquired, looking at them all.

''Yup, I'm good to go some more.'' Panther assured. ''Fox?''

''I'll be fine as well. Thank you.'' He returned.

''You're doing really well.'' Joker remarked.

''I'll say. You're handling your first heist well, having you around should help for sure.'' Mona added.

''I'll be glad to. I'd like to thank you...for helping me deal with Madarame as well.''

Skull cocked his head ''Ah, save that for when we teach that geezer a lesson.''

Nodding, the teen looked around at the four ''So what's our next step?''

''It's best if we stop soon.'' Joker stated. ''But we'll just take one last look before leaving. The more we know about the treasure, the better.''

''That makes sense. It's more preparation to steal it then.''

''Yeah, but there's a little more to it.'' Panther informed. ''We'll be getting ready to for the calling card too.''

''Ah, yes you mentioned those before...'' Fox recalled. ''...may I write it when the time comes?''

''Hey, it's only fitting so go right ahead.'' Skull returned. ''So what do you say we get a move on?''

* * *

The hall lead into another area that had a couple of guards roaming about. Though it didn't take them long to note how they seemed to be coming and going from a certain area.

Following one of the guards took them to the security room, which had three more guards in. They seemed to be switching routinely, all watching something.

The window nearby displayed the lower floor, which had an item that was hidden from view by the guards and a cloth, surrounded by a fence on a small pedestal. Surrounding it were more guards and none other than Madarame's shadow himself.

Skull smirked ''Looks like we found it.''

Mona confirmed ''And we'll be there to take it soon.''

Panther nodded ''Then we'll stop Madarame for good.''

''For now, let's pull back. We've done plenty today.'' Joker stated. The rest agreed and they began to leave, though she paused upon seeing Fox's pensive look.

''Are you going to be all right?''

He started, looking at her in surprise for a moment ''Yes...it's just quite a day, I suppose.''

''That's putting it nicely.'' The girl said with a bemused look as they began to follow the others. ''You are handling all this well though.''

He gave her a grateful look ''Thanks to you all...''

''We're still figuring things out so don't mind...that's not what the point though. You didn't say much about it before but how are you coping with Madarame considering the situation?''

''I'm doing what I can...not that it's much at this point.'' He stated. ''Perhaps...if I had acted when I learned the truth in the first place, none of this would've happened.''

''Hey, I get that it's hard but there's no point debating the 'what if's in life. The point is, you're working for the right thing now.'' Joker assured. She knew their plans were seriously going to impact him in the long run, more than they did already. After all, Madarame was his guardian...

The thought prompted her to continue ''So, ah...I don't know what's going to happen once this is all over but if there's some way I can help, just ask and I'll do my best.''

''...You are a truly kind person, Joker. I appreciate that.''

* * *

 _Well, I think it's best to let it end here._

 _So how was it? All right, I hope? I've been watching videos to learn more about the game and what I might be missing. So I'm hoping to make the most use of it._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 4)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 4)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 3)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 4)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 2)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 3)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 3)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 1)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 1)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 1)_


	14. Chapter 14

After preparing the weapons for the team's next venture into the Metaverse, Namine and Ryuji went to see a movie as they had agreed earlier.

''Heh, well that was nice, huh?'' Ryuji remarked as they walked out of the movie hall.

''Mmhm, it reminds me of this old story I heard but this is way funnier.'' Namine mused.

The two walked out of the cinema before she went on ''Okay, spill.'' Ryuji blinked. ''Don't give me that look. You've been out of it for a while, what's going on?''

He stopped walking ''...You noticed, huh? Guess I've been thinkin'...You know, I heard rumors that the track team's coming back.''

''Really? Well, that's good.'' Namine looked confused. ''I thought you'd be happy-Wait, don't tell me they're still holding what Kamoshida did against you...''

''That's not it...'' Ryuji started. ''...I mean some of 'em do. Not that I mind, really, they've already decided.''

''Well, I don't think they should.''

He sighed ''Eh, it doesn't really matter now. Guess I keep wondering if they can pull it off this time.''

''Things are different now though.'' Namine reminded.

'That's actually unclear.' Captain Kidd informed. 'There's more to it than you think.'

''?''

''Yeah...'' Ryuji's brow furrowed. ''...it's more about the advisor they're going to get now. He worked under Kamoshida. No matter how I look at it, that guy's nothing but a flake. He just gave plenty of flak back in practice but he turned right into a kiss ass when our parents showed up. Yamauchi's basically a mini-Kamoshida.''

''Really? So he's got the administration fooled?'' Namine wondered.

''Hell if I know...it's all just really weird, I mean he's not even a P.E teacher.'' Ryuji grunted.

''Well, I get why you're worried now. There's definitely something strange here.''

''Right? I'm gonna do some research about this...'' Ryuji decided. ''...there's a chance I'll need your help, okay, Namine?'' He grinned when she nodded ''Awesome! I'll be counting on you!''

* * *

Along the way, the two teens happened to come across a small gathering. The reason was revealed to be Yoshida, who seemed doing another speech.

''And while our society appears to be prosperous, many of our young people are quietly suffering.'' Yoshida was saying. ''They lack jobs, security, savings...the next generation will lead us into the future and yet they have no plan for how to arrive there...''

''Oh, isn't that...?'' Ryuji cocked his head. ''...hey, I heard about his speeches before. I didn't know they were this good...how come people are barely paying attention?''

''It was like this the others times too.'' Namine recalled as they watched the man wrap things up.

Yoshida happened to notice them then ''Oh, hello there, young lady. I'm glad you've come to listen again.''

''Well, it's worth it...''

''Wait, you know Dame-Tora?'' Ryuji uttered, not noticing the man stiffen at this.

''Ryuji, don't you think that rude?''

''Ah...'' He almost forgot the man in question was there. ''...sorry, it slipped out.''

''No, it's all right...it's only the truth after all.'' Yoshida stated. ''I've done my share of my mistakes to end up with that horrid reputation. By the way, I never got around to asking your name the last time...'' The two introduced themselves. ''...I see. It's a pleasure.''

''So you're still trying to win those elections?'' Ryuji inquired.

''Yes. I refuse to let things die down like that. I see this as a chance for me to put my abilities to good use.''

''He's been trying for a long time but he won't give up, no matter what people say.'' Namine added.

''Huh...'' The blond could see why she wanted to hear the man out now. He was pushing past the labels people forced on him and keeping up the fight...That was cool in his book. ''...well if I could vote, I'd choose you.''

''Same here.'' Namine added.

Yoshida chuckled ''Thank you kindly.''

''Say, Yoshida-san? I was wondering if you could tell me some more about the political world.'' Namine admitted. ''Like-you know, what about it exactly makes you try this hard? Let's just say a bunch of what I know doesn't exactly seem inspiring.''

''Ah, I'd imagine that would be the result of the worst side. If they work at it, politicians can use their power to make a good difference out there.'' The man replied. ''I'm curious though, is there a particular reason for this interest?''

''Well, it's just that a few events in my life have me re-thinking plenty of stuff. I want to expand my horizons. I'm still not sure what I want to be later but I figure looking deeper into stuff-like politics now could help me at least decide on that front.''

''That's understandable. While I wouldn't mind, I'm not sure I'm the best teacher, for obvious reasons. Do you want to learn from me?'' When she nodded, he went on. ''Very well, I'll do my best to help.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Sun Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power._

* * *

A while later, after Namine finished with her shift at her part-time job, she went to meet Mishima at a diner per the boy's request...

''There you are...'' Namine blinked, seeing that Mishima was already nodding off. ''...er, you okay?''

''Ah, yes!'' He started, looking surprised to see her. ''I'm sorry...I guess I'm just tired...''

''Exhausted, more like.'' Namine remarked, nodding to the waiter in thanks as he brought their coffees.

He exhaled ''Yeah...I've been really busy with the Phan-Site. You wouldn't believe how active it is...''

''Hey, working hard is good and all but you're completely going overboard here.''

''I-I'm fine! I just want to...'' Mishima broke off to yawn. Namine gave him a pointed look before pushing her coffee towards him. ''...t-thanks...like I was saying, I really want to make the most of this. The Phantom Thieves have some serious reputation now. I promised to help get the word out there and I don't want that to change! It's what they deserve. Look at that poll, its going great.''

''Poll? Oh, right, that thing...it's at 15% huh...''

Mishima noticed the complete lack of interest in her tone ''You don't like it?''

''No, no, I appreciate what you've done with the site. It's pretty handy.'' The boy perked up at the praise, hearing her go on. ''It's just...I could really care less about that poll. We know the truth, I don't care what people say about us. It doesn't look like most of them understand what we're about yet. They're acting like the phantom thieves are genies for hire.''

''Yeah, I admit some of those requests were pretty stupid...'' Mishima said awkwardly. ''...but still! It's a good thing, it means more and more people are learning of the thieves. You're getting famous!''

''If you say so...'' Namine wasn't convinced and she wasn't going to bother hiding it. ''...let's just say, I've had bit of experience with fame for a while and I know how easily it can blow up in your face just like that.''

''Oh...'' Mishima figured that explained it. He was curious but she obviously didn't want to explain and he didn't want to pressure her. ''...you've been really hurt, huh? Well, I don't think the same's going to happen here, you'll see!''

''I hope you're right.''

''I'll make sure of it, count on me!''

* * *

The next day, after school was done...

''So, we're almost done! All we've got to do now is wait for Yusuke to finish the calling cards.'' Morgana stated.

''Yeah-wait, cards as in plural?'' Namine wondered.

''Mmhm, let's just say I've had an idea on how where to place them. I told Yusuke about it and he agrees that we can pull it off.'' The cat explained.

''Well, you've been doing your best to guide us along, we're counting on you.''

''Right!''

As she made to get downstairs, she paused in surprise when a student who was leaning on the wall snapped.

''Would you just leave it alone!?'' He demanded irritably.

''But...'' Another voice tried to protest.

''You wouldn't understand!'' A third voice added. ''Are we really supposed to believe you want to help? Get real!''

It didn't take them long to see that there were two boys arguing with Makoto nearby. The girl's eyes narrowed ''I'm trying to learn more about this so we can help. You're not the first to be swindled by those gangs, I want to put a stop to this.''

''We're not buying it.'' The first boy returned. ''The student council barely helps us out! Hell, those guys in the volleyball team were going through hell with Kamoshida and none of you did a thing. You were useless, Miss Prez.''

Makoto's eyes widened ''T-that's...''

''Yeah, yeah!'' The second boy took over. ''Hard to believe none of you noticed. Things got so bad that even that transfer student stepped in to stop the worst of it. Are we really supposed to believe you?''

''Please, I...I just don't want this to go on, if you'd just tell me anything...''

''You heard what we wanted to say. Enough.'' The boys left.

Morgana blinked _'Swindled by gangs? What're they talking about?'_

''There must be something I can do...'' The girl noticed Namine then. ''...I take it you heard that?''

''Those two weren't exactly trying to be discreet.'' Namine stated. ''Are you okay?'' Missing the girl's surprise at the question she added. ''That seemed harsh, why're they so mad?''

''You haven't heard? A number of our students have been getting tricked by gangs lately.'' Makoto replied. ''I've been looking into this and those two seemed to be the latest victims. I thought...if we could find more information, we could take it to the police. You saw what happened though; I've had very few chances to find out much of anything. I don't want to let this go unchecked, things could just get worse.''

''So you're still going to keep at it?''

''Of course.'' The girl replied readily. ''While I know they have their own reasons to be doubtful of my help, I won't let that stop me.''

Namine was wondering if there was more to Makoto than they wound up believing. ''Do you want some help?'' The older girl looked at her in surprise. ''I see no reason to turn away now that I know something's wrong. I don't know if we can find anything now but I want to try.''

''Really?'' Makoto blinked. ''After what happened before, I thought you wouldn't want anything to do with me.''

''I've been thinking...most of what I know about you is from rumors but I'm not comfortable believing those. I know what it's like dealing with that kind of label. You're obviously trying to do something good, so I don't see why not.''

''Ah...thank you...'' Makoto returned, truly surprised. No wonder the talk about Namine was so different around school; she was nothing like she was made out to be. ''…then would you come with me to Shibuya? I have some idea of where to start searching.''

''Okay, let's go.''

* * *

''So you're using this as a chance to know more about her.'' Morgana understood, seeing the girl nod then.

''If we can find some more about this gang, all the better.''

''True, we might even find a next target.'' The cat mused.

Makoto seemed to know about a few famous hang out spots in Shibuya and they started off with those. As expected, they found only a few students (upon asking a couple, they learned that some didn't seem to know about the gang of swindlers) and the others just seemed to dismiss it.

''They're taking this a little too lightly.'' Namine remarked.

''Agreed, though I suppose it might have to do with the area itself.'' At the girl's confused look, Makoto went on ''Ah, I forgot you're not from here. Shibuya used to be much more crime ridden but extensive investigation made it start to change. The gangs went into hiding and I think it left people feeling safer.''

''All the more better for the gangs then...'' Morgana muttered.

''Hey, you kids.'' A woman walked over. ''Heard you were asking around about the rising rumors?''

Makoto raised an eye ''We were...''

''So it is true?'' The woman crossed her arms. ''I was asked to help promote a new club around here, you see. But hearing about those just makes me uncomfortable. I saw a couple of kids in Shujin uniforms before, one of them looked really mad and he kept asking about some guy who sold them fake products. The other kid was carrying something I couldn't see but he mentioned something about having to finish a deal. I'm still not sure what it means...''

''Unfortunately, I think I have an idea...'' Makoto said a grimace. ''...you're right to be worried, Ma'am. The rumors are rising in our school too, that's why I thought to try and find anything to give to the police.''

''Well, that's just great...'' The woman sighed. ''...thanks, I'll go work something out.'' She left.

''So we basically confirmed that there's some really fishy stuff going on around here.'' Namine remarked.

''Effectively.'' Makoto agreed. ''Let's try somewhere else.''

''Oh those kids, huh?'' A waiter cocked his head. ''Yeah, I've seen a few around lately. Some of them were even talking with some guy about money and fulfilling a deal. It sounded like they fell for some con artist's trick, there was one around here. They were looking to get back the money they lost.''

''I see...do you know if they come around this area regularly?'' Makoto inquired.

''Hm, I don't think they do. Whenever they did, it was earlier than this. Shibuya's pretty big you know?''

''True, thank you. I won't hold you up anymore.'' The waiter went back to his work and she left the restaurant, stopping when she saw Namine waiting outside. ''Did you find anything on your end?''

She nodded ''I don't think it's just students who are the victims here. One of the workers I asked mentioned something about a cafe shutting down because of debt, they were trying to make up for it but the loan shark just made them quit.''

''This just gets more complicated...'' Makoto grimaced.

''Yeah, he didn't know much about that but he said the word is spreading about this loan shark and he's got some nasty reputation. He seems to have some men working for him out and about, people are avoiding them.'' Namine added.

''This could be related, it seems like way too much of a coincidence.'' The council president mused. ''It's getting late, we should head back now. Thank you for today, Hyakuya-san, this worked out better than I expected.''

''Ah, no problem Senpai, I'm the one who offered. But what now?''

''Don't worry; I'll look further into this. I'm thinking of getting some advice...''

* * *

''I've been wondering but you get plenty of sorts of people here, huh?''

Sojiro turned back to the door, which was still half open, to see Namine walk in right after a customer left.

''You have no idea, kid.'' He stated. ''So what've you been up to? Nothing troublesome, I hope.''

''? No, just something related to school. It took longer than we expected.''

''Fair enough, just need to make sure since I'm reporting to your probation officer.'' He pointed out, heading back to the counter.

Morgana poked his head out of the bag ''What's so wrong about reforming criminals? He still doesn't trust you, huh?''

''I guess so.'' Namine returned. ''Today was a surprise, don't you think?''

''Yeah, that Nijima girl must care more than we thought since she's going through all this trouble. Just goes to show, believing rumors doesn't help plenty of time.'' Morgana paused. ''I think it'd be best to keep an eye on this search with her though, we could be looking at our next target.''

Namine hummed ''Let's just wait a bit before we decide on that front...'' She turned slightly as Sojiro came back with a plate of curry for her. ''...oh, thanks.''

He made to respond only to be distracted by announcement from the TV ''...And this was the statement reached by the members of the Diet.'' A female announcer declared. ''They are truly working their best for the good of our country.''

''So this Diet thing's a big deal, huh?'' Morgana received a nod. His eyes widened when he saw the display of the members exiting the hall on TV. ''Hey, the man with the orange glasses looks familiar...''

'That's because he was leading that arrogant bunch from the Wilton.' Arsene reminded.

''Oh yeah, so he was a high ranked politician...''

Namine bit her lip, it was strange. Something about that man really rubbed her wrong and she just didn't know why. Still, the feeling was so strong that she couldn't shake it...

''I'm guessing you're not a big fan of politicians?'' She remarked moments later, noticing Sojiro's expression.

''In a sense. Let's just say my impression of them just got worse with experience.'' He returned. ''It looked like you recognized one of them though, what's up with that?''

''I told you how we went to that buffet back in Golden Week, right? We happened to come across that Shido Masayoshi, it wasn't exactly pleasant.''

''I can imagine.'' He grunted.

''I met another one though, he was pretty nice.'' She started explaining about Yoshida.

''Oh yeah, I think he came around before...'' Sojiro recalled. ''...he definitely sounds better than his reputation makes him out to be. You sure about asking him for help though?''

''Why not? I figure it's a good chance as any, just another way to see what's out there.'' Namine stated.

''Can't argue with that, they do say learning happens in many ways...''

* * *

The next day...

With everything set, Morgana went with Yusuke to the gallery and they immediately got to work...

''Pardon me, sir. There's a matter we need to notify you about...'' A staff member said.

''Please excuse me for a moment...'' Madarame told the others before following the man. ''...what is it?''

''We found this outside.''

''A letter?'' Madarame wondered.

''It's...uh...''

'Sir Ichiryusai Madarame, a great sinner of vanity whose talent has been exhausted. You are an artist who uses his authoriy to shamelessly steal the ideas of his pupils. We have decided to make you confess all your motives with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From, the Phantom Thieves.'

''Whose doing is this?!'' Madarame snapped.

''We don't know! The same letter has been posted everywhere...''

''What about the security cameras?!'' The man demanded.

''There was no signs of the culprit...All we saw was a cat in the recordings...''

''Remove these at once!''

The staff member nodded ''Of course! Uh...''

''What now?!'' Madarame growled.

''It's about this affecting the exhibit...We believe it's just a prank but what of the mass media?''

Madarame stomped a foot ''Are you insinuating that this slander is true?''

''Of course not!''

Yusuke then saw his shadow self appear...

''It's those damn brats' doing, isn't it?'' Shadow Madarame sneered. ''Well, it means nothing...They'll only be able to do as they please until this exhibit is over...''

He headed back to meet the others ''Will that do?''

''Yup, it was perfect! The composition was way cooler too!'' Ann smiled.

''The treasure should appear right about now.'' Morgana added.

''You better enjoy the air of freedom while you still can, old man.'' Ryuji remarked. ''Anyways, d'you guys check online? People are already talkin' about that callin' card. We'll show 'em...we're gonna surprise 'em all!''

''I'm sure you know but we only get one shot at this.'' Morgana warned.

''Yeah, then let's do it. I'll be counting on you, guys.'' Namine stated.

''And we'll be counting on you.'' Ann returned.

''You have no reservations about this, right Yusuke?'' Morgana inquired.

''Of course not...let's go.''

* * *

''Halt, intruders!'' Some of the patrolling guards cried upon seeing Panther and Mona run down a hall before proceeding to chase them.

Neither spared them a glance and kept going, though the reason became clear when Joker, Skull and Fox blocked their path.

''You're dealin' with us now!'' Skull exclaimed.

* * *

As expected, there were more shadows than their last visit, a consequence of the calling card. Since they were able to discover a path to the scaffolding right above the treasure in their last exploration, they knew just what to do. So the five thieves agreed to split their efforts, a group would make sure that Shadow Madarame can't obstruct their path to the treasure (something Mona reasoned was very possible considering the Palace's setting) while another would stop the guards.

Since the second group was taking care of the shadows around the security room, Panther and Mona were free to sneak in and start things off. The first tied Mona to the lift which was positioned at the ready to be used before heading back. The whole plan had been to distract the shadows so three of them could do this, one turning off the lights and the other controlling the crane so Mona could grab the treasure. But Fox had pointed out, rightfully, that there may be too many shadows for that to work well. Leading them to decide to try thinning their numbers a little till one of them was able to come before moving on.

Fortunately, they didn't have to wait long.

Panther perked up when she saw Joker reach the crane, knowing it meant things were working out.

Mona looked back ''So the distraction worked.''

''Yeah, Skull and Fox gave me enough time to get here. They said they'll catch up soon.''

''Good, then let's begin.''

Panther nodded, seeing Joker wave her arm. Wasting no time, she typed into the terminal to turn the generators off.

''I really hope this works, good luck.'' She whispered.

'Just stay calm, it's all planned out, remember?' Carmen pointed out.

''Yeah...'' The girl quickened her pace to the Safe Room.

* * *

'It's best to move now.'

Nodding to her persona's advice, Joker moved just as the lights flashed off, lowering the lever into the room. Mona's eyes narrowed as he prepared to grab the treasure...

* * *

Panther found Fox waiting at the room near the ledge ''Hey, if you're here where's Skull?''

''He should be here soon, I stayed back to divide the enemy's attention. What about Joker and Mona?''

''They're on their way too...'' She trailed off, noting how the lights re-activated. Both turned their attention to the scaffold as Joker cut the rope off Mona.

''Heheh, pretty good, huh?'' He smirked.

''That's an understatement, way to go!'' Joker proceeded to look around carefully. Her third eye pointed her towards a nearby window. ''...I think I found a good escape route.''

''Then let's move!'' Mona became aware of the shadows' shock at their success. He noticed Skull making his way through. ''Hey, over here! Tell them to catch up!''

The teen nodded back and soon they were all near the window. Fox looked out ''Ah, so we use those platforms. I imagine that would be quick.''

''We better go before they catch on.'' Panther added. The others nodded to the point and hurried out.

* * *

With the patrols all in a panic since they knew the treasure was taken, the group was able to make it to the courtyard without much hassle, thanks in part to Mona's tools...

''They were so lost with that smoke bomb too.'' Skull snickered. ''That was awesome, Mona!''

''It was, wasn't it?'' The cat said smugly.

''So the treasure is a painting by the looks of it, right?''

''I think so...'' Mona began to drool. ''...treasure...''

''Here we go again...'' Panther sighed in exasperation while Fox looked confused at the change in behavior.

''...I can't take it anymore! Let's see this thing!'' He proceeded to remove the cloth off the painting. ''What?!''

The cat's shock was entirely justified what they saw was a hehenomoheji, a portrait of crude hiragana characters.

Fox frowned ''We've been tricked...''

Mona angrily tossed the painting away ''That's just great! Now what?!''

''There you are, you fools.''

Shadow Madarame made his way through the area, smirking as he noticed the fake treasure. ''I was never going to make it easy.''

''That thing is as fake as your art skills.'' Joker stated.

''No kidding, where's the real treasure?'' Skull demanded.

''Oh, don't be so angry now. It's perfectly natural, after all counterfeits are accepted in the world of Japanese art.''

Fox couldn't take this anymore ''Why have you become like this?! Can't you understand how much it pains me to see how far my foster father has fallen?!''

Shadow Madarame was unfazed ''You're still so naive...Thinking back, the only reason I took you back was my ties with your mother. She still kept her passion for art throughout her life...which lead me to decide to look after her.''

''You don't mean...?'' Panther's eyes widened while Fox looked pained, as if he expected this.

''Yes, your mother and her artwork-they're all MY works of art!'' He chuckled. ''Since you've come this far, I'll let you see the true treasure...the real Sayuri!''

A guard walked over, holding up a portrait with a golden frame. It was the same picture Fox had shown the group before. There was one difference they noticed right away; the mist at the lower part of the painting was gone. The woman was cradling a baby with a loving smile.

''It can't be...'' Fox was stunned.

''That's the real thing?'' Skull blinked twice, noticing Fox stiffen. ''Hey, what's wrong?''

''That's...Mom?''

The group was surprised ''What?''

''You're right.'' Shadow Madarame stated. ''This is a self-portrait, of a woman who knew her death was coming. She painted her last wishes for the son she would leave behind. That's the truth behind the mystery of the Sayuri.''

''Even Yusuke's mother...'' Mona muttered, looking disgusted with the man. A feeling the team shared.

''You stole something that personal?!'' Panther scowled.

''The chance was too good to pass up.'' The shadow was enjoying their reactions. ''I knew it'd be a huge success if I added a touch to the painting and announced it under my name!''

''Why did you...why did you paint over the baby?'' Fox managed at last.

''That was perfect staging.'' was the response ''If it was erased, the mystery behind her expression would rise. It just brought more fame, that is what draws the general public.''

''You call yourself an artist? You're nothing but a fraud!'' Mona exclaimed.

''You insult artists everywhere!'' Panther added.

''Yeah, what a big joke. You've just been leeching off real artists, bastard!'' Skull snapped.

''So you'll defy me to the end...'' Shadow Madarame harrumphed. ''...Yusuke, you're my work of art. I'm going to reap you for the sake of my future...along with your insolent friends.''

Joker stepped in front of Fox ''Not a chance.'' Her eyes narrowed. ''You have no right to treat Yusuke and his mother like objects. You're not getting way with this.''

Fox raised his head ''...All your art is destroyed once it outlived its usefulness...did that include my mother?''

The team stared at him in shock but Shadow Madarame laughed ''So you figured it out? It was all so convenient! One day, she had a seizure in front of me. I had this thought then, if she died, I could take the painting easily!''

Mona's jaw dropped ''But that means...'' They knew how terrible the man was but they never imagined he would condone something like this...never assumed that he would go so far.

''So...'' Joker looked horrified. ''...you left her to die?''

''You disgusting lowlife!'' Skull growled.

''Just when I think you can't sink any lower-how dare you?!'' Panther hissed.

''Since she had a frail constitution, no one would doubt it she had died.'' The shadow went on without remorse. ''The reason why I kept Yusuke around was to keep him from realizing the truth behind the Sayuri. The fact that he was talented as well was just a wonderful surprise.''

''You killed her...!'' Fox snarled.

''After that, I had an idea...it was much easier to rob the futures of children. They are so much malleable, and they would never defy me...You have my thanks, Yusuke, you're the reason I came to this conclusion.'' Shadow Madarame crowed.

''How can you be so proud of your actions?'' Joker demanded, she couldn't keep silent after what happened so far. ''All those people lost so much because of you-just for some money, you ruined them. Like that pupil who killed himself...On top of that, you became a murderer. Yusuke saw you as family...'' She ground her teeth ''...but you really don't care, do you?''

''Not at all.'' He returned. ''He is nothing but a tool for me to advance further in the world.''

''You're the worst...'' Mona stopped as a chuckle reached his ears, bringing his attention to Fox.

The newest member of their team continued to chuckle for a few moments, holding his face with his hand.

'There you have it. The truth out in the open, let's stop this fiend once and for all.' Goemon said.

''Yes...Thank you, Madarame...'' Fox glowered at the Palace Ruler. ''...Every reason for me to forgive you has completely disappeared. You're aren't some rotten artist, you're just a despicable fiend who wears the skin of an artist!''

''Yeah, you tell him!'' Skull cried.

Shadow Madarame grunted ''You good for nothing brats...barging in here and causing all this trouble. Those with the connections make the rules and those don't are meant to follow them. I make the rules in the art scene, I am the god of the art world!''

He began to transform at the declaration, pools of black liquid gathered around him. In moments, he turned into four portraits, two eyes a nose and a giant mouth. ''Let's begin, you vermin! I'll paint all over you!''

He conjured up a Maelstrom on Fox and Panther, who proceeded to guard. Skull ran to strike the mouth, grimacing when he realized it had no effect.

''Guys, it blocks physical moves!'' He warned.

''Then let's try this.'' Panther summoned Carmen, having the fiery dancer knock the mouth down with her magic. ''Now...again, Maragi!''

She aimed the next spell at one of the eyes, only to stop in surprise when it didn't do anything. ''This one stops magic...''

''Allow me.'' Fox stepped up, summoning his own persona. ''Vicious Strike!''

The kabuki dancer slashed hard, knocking all except the mouth piece down. The remaining piece proceeded to use ice magic to hit him and Skull, before the other pieces began floating up. They began to glow in preparation for more attacks.

Joker moved faster ''Persona!'' Arsene appeared before her, cleaving one of the eyes before the girl shot it down, leaving it to disappear in black ooze.

''Damn you!'' Shadow Madarame growled, summoning a bolt of lightning to hit Joker before the mouth piece tried to bite Mona, who dodged. One of the eye pieces cast Rakunda on Fox, leaving his defenses lowered.

Skull and Panther shot down two of the paintings before Mona destroyed one with a few slashes. The nose painting flew back up, hitting the feline with another lightning bolt, leaving him to fall hard.

''Mona!''

''Oh crap, he's weak to lightning, right?'' Skull recalled.

''I'll take care of him; you keep those things off our backs.'' Panther stated.

''You got it!'' He returned. ''Captain Kidd!'' The pirate persona flew up. ''Rampage!''

The captain's fierce moves knocked down all but the mouth painting, which was invulnerable to the attack and it also destroyed one of the paintings in the process. Skull proceeded to bash the other piece a few times with his weapon to get rid of it.

Joker and Fox attacked in tandem, cutting the mouth painting a few times with their blades. This left it to be reduced into black ooze...

Mona thanked Panther before noting a surprise ''There he is!'' Shadow Madarame appeared then, looking pained.

''Why you damn...how dare you...'' He panted. ''...I'm the great Madarame!''

''Well, we're the ones who are going to knock that ego of yours down to size, come on, everyone!'' Joker called.

The five thieves attacked him together with their weapons a bunch before Joker stepped back and called Nue.

''Skull Cracker!''

He cried out in pain as the chimera like persona rammed him, throwing him to the ground.

The enemy growled ''I won't fall here...!''

''Don't bet on it!'' Skull tried to shoot him, only to stop when he disappeared in a pool of black liquid and the paintings appeared again.

''I'll take you all pests down!'' In a flash, they were all hit by a wave of black paint.

''W-what is this?!'' Panther exclaimed.

''I don't know but it feels like I'm more...vulnerable...'' Mona trailed off. ''...this looks like some set up, get ready, you guys!''

''There's nothing you can do!'' The enemy cried.

He cast his ice spell, Silent Snowscape, and they realized just how bad this was as they all took more damage than his previous attacks. Clearly the paint weakened their defenses somehow...

Panther fell to her knees as a result, being the one most susceptible to ice magic. Seeing this, the mouth piece flew to attack next but Mona summoned Zorro to throw it away with wind magic.

''Are you okay?'' The feline proceeded to heal her.

''I-I will be...damn, that hurt more than I thought it would...''

''You don't have time to be worried about others!'' Shadow Madarame sneered. ''Take this!''

He proceeded to use a Madara-Megido, an attack that created a number of dark orbs at the five, causing much damage thanks to the black paint but they persevered and endured it.

''I'll take care of this, Media!'' Mona cast, surrounding the party with greenish light that healed them.

''It's not over yet!'' The shadow howled, casting another Maelstrom. One of the eye pieces glowed, moving to keep up the offense with more magic.

''Arsene!'' The gentleman thief appeared in a flash of flames, casting Sukunda on the eye piece, leaving it to move much more slowly. He proceeded to cast the spell two more times, to the enemy's frustration.

''Good call, let's keep this going. Tarukaja!'' Skull cast the spell on himself before proceeding to do the same for Fox. ''Time to go wild!''

''Let's.'' The young artist agreed before they struck two of the pieces.

''Captain Kidd!''

''Goemon!''

Their personas moved next, attacking with Rampage and Vicious Strike once more for a lot of damage.

''Carmen, Maragi!'' Panther called, downing the mouth painting as well and Mona shot it down.

This left Shadow Madarame forced to emerge again. ''Why you...you insolent little...''

''You're nothing but a big mouthed coward, hiding behind those paintings!'' Skull taunted.

''Don't mock me! I'll destroy you all!''

''Take this!'' Mona ran to slash him a few times, leaving him to scream.

Joker touched her mask ''Nue, Maeiha!''

Panther and Fox aimed their guns to attack next, leaving the enemy reeling. ''Let's get him!'' The first called.

The five attacked once again, with Fox putting in the final slash and sheathing his sword.

''This is the end.''

True to word, Shadow Madarame had fallen and was clearly unable to fight anymore.

Fox's eyes narrowed as he walked to his former mentor, the man yelped in fear.

''No one cares for true art...please understand! All they want are easily recognizable brands! I'm a victim too here, wouldn't you agree?!''

''Oh, save it!'' Panther spat. ''No one wants to hear your pathetic excuses.''

''B-but it is true! You can't rise in the art world without money. You understand, don't you Yusuke? I just didn't want to be a poor artist again! It's awful!''

Fox gripped his collar ''You have no right to call yourself an artist! You and your abomination of a world are done for! Confess your crimes in reality, every single one of them!''

''W-what...?'' He started.

''You heard him, Madarame, enough with the lies.'' Joker added. ''You're going to answer for everything you've done.''

''That's right, apologize to your victims and make sure they get their work back!'' Panther added.

''You better get to it, you damn geezer!'' Skull snapped.

''Yes and don't waste a single moment!'' Fox chipped in.

''All right, all right...So...then, you're not going to kill me...But what about the other one, the one with the black mask? Isn't he working with you?''

Needless to say, the shadow's words really confused the team. They knew of no one else working in the Metaverse, so what did he mean?

Before they could think on this further, the floor began to shake. Mona's eyes widened ''Guys, the Palace is falling apart!'' He quickly transformed. ''Let's move!''

They headed towards the bus, only slowing down when they noticed Fox approaching and holding Sayuri with the utmost care.

Shadow Madarame shook as he spoke ''Y-Yusuke...what should I do?''

''End all of this.'' He said simply, not wanting to take another look at his former mentor. It still pained him to think of how terribly the man had fallen.

''Come on, dude!'' Skull called.

Fox nodded, ignoring the man's pleas as he joined the group. He silently bid his former mentor farewell as everything sank in. Hard as this has been, he was thankful for their success. All of these lies and Madarame's schemes had gone on for far too long. It was about time that the man's victims got what they deserved.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _How was it, good I hope? As I'm sure I've proven, I like fiddling around with the plot every once in a while. Because really, what's the point of writing a fanfiction if I'm just going to stick to canon? Anywho, I hope you liked my little twists._

 _Since I think this proved it, I'm planning to try a few changes in the next arc as well. I'm still not sure about how I'm doing so far, you know, since I didn't play the game and all, but I'm trying to make this story the best it can be. I'm looking forward to reaching parts with some certain characters (Futaba for instance) just for their interactions with Namine. I've been trying to plan ahead and it's coming along well. There is some trouble of course, but I'll keep at it. Thanks for reading my work and I hope you keep it up._

 _Oh, and this will be explained later in detail but just in case I got anyone confused, the reason Namine really doesn't care about the poll has to do with the way things went down. As in, she did know how it was like to be famous after she woke up from her coma. Unfortunately, it all turned backwards in the worst way after her arrest. So I would think that provides enough reason for her not to give a damn about fame, wouldn't you say?_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 5)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 4)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 3)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 4)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 2)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 3)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 3)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 2)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 1)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 1)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 1)_


	15. Chapter 15

_Well, this chapter came together pretty easily so I figured I might as well put it up, I hope you like it._

 _Tercra: Well, I'm glad you like the story. I did look through Makoto's confidant for later reference and I have an idea but things might change when I get to it. Gotta admit, I did not consider having Namine cross dress but it is a funny thought..._

* * *

The Phantom Thieves' escape from this Palace had been much better than their previous mission. They landed back near the atelier, knowing that the Palace was gone.

''I'm so glad that's over...'' Ann exhaled in relief.

''Yeah, we pulled it off, huh?'' Ryuji grinned.

Morgana hummed happily ''All we have to do is wait to see the change of heart.''

''Well...'' Namine glanced at Yusuke, who had had been silent ever since he got on the bus. ''...are you okay?''

''...Yes.'' He said after a moment. ''Let's be off, there's no point in staying here anymore.''

''Right, let's go.'' Ryuji agreed.

Yusuke didn't speak until they arrived near the station ''Thank you all...if you hadn't intervened, I wouldn't have faced the truth. And nothing would've changed it.''

''Ah, don't sweat it.'' Ryuji returned, grinning. ''It's just what we do.''

''Yes, about that...'' He started ''...I've been meaning to ask, what made you decide to form this team in the first place?''

''We stand up and fight for those who can't fight for themselves.'' Ann replied.

''We know too well what it's like to be oppressed and cornered on your own, that's why we fight to give people courage.'' Namine added. ''It will let them see things differently, hopefully even give them a chance to find the way to stand up and be strong.''

''That's a noble goal.'' He remarked. ''What will they do then? You believe this will make people happy?''

''Hard to say, but we have to try.'' Ryuji stated.

''I see...this also applies to me, I've also suffered because of others' actions.'' Yusuke closed his eyes for a moment. ''Then please allow me to join you.''

''No need to be so formal about it, dude. Way I see it, you're already a team member.'' Ryuji returned.

''I think so too, you're welcome to officially join us.'' Namine added.

''Yup, having you along will give us a definite boost.'' Morgana remarked while Ann nodded.

''Excellent, I may even be able to use our experiences in the Metaverse to expand my artistic repertoire...'' Yusuke mused. ''...however, I won't take in any plans that aren't beautiful.''

''No worries.'' Ann wrapped an arm around Namine. ''After all, we're both here!''

The girl smiled sheepishly for a moment before turning back to Yusuke ''It's great that you finally have the painting.''

''Thank you, I feel the same...''

''So he said it's a self-portrait. Does that mean your mom's name is Sayuri?'' Morgana inquired.

''No, that's just another product of Madarame's idiotic staging.'' The teen paused, his eyes falling back on the painting. ''To think this was the truth behind the painting that inspired me...I can't remember my mother's face but I can't believe I was looking at her all this time...''

Ryuji raised an eye ''You're not going to start getting all weird and sentimental now, right?''

''Ryuji!'' Ann elbowed the teen sharply.

Namine sighed ''Of all the things to say...''

''What do you expect? He's tactless.'' Morgana stated. ''Anyway, I can't help but wonder...to think there was someone else acting in the Metaverse. Maybe another persona user?''

''Can you try finding out what Madarame knows, Yusuke?'' Ryuji wondered.

''Certainly.''

After sharing each other's contact info, the team split up to turn in for the night.

* * *

''We totally nailed it, huh?''

Namine smiled at Morgana's exuberance ''Yeah, I'd say we're doing well. You got that plan down like a master thief, by the way.''

''Hehe, I guess so.'' He beamed at the reminder.

''So, if it's like Kamoshida, we have to wait at least a few days to see Madarame change, right?''

''Yup, I don't see any reason to be worried though. We did the best we could.'' The feline offered. ''You know...it's so strange how I react to the treasures and turn into a bus and all. I keep wondering, what am I...who am I?''

Sensing her companion's melancholy and knowing that there was no way they could get answers, Namine decided to try something.

''Well, you're a cat.''

Morgana bristled ''That's definitely wrong!''

''Aw, but you're our cute kitty.''

He groaned, now embarrassed and annoyed ''Would you just stop?!'' His eyes narrowed as he saw the girl giggling at the whole thing. ''Hey!''

''Try not to overthink this so much, I'm not saying it would be easy. Thing is, you're our friend and guide. You can find out your answers if you keep trying.'' Namine returned, surprising him. ''Are you really giving up now?''

''Of course not!'' Morgana blinked twice, realizing she did that on purpose. She likely didn't want him dwelling on this now. ''...You know what, you're right! I wonder what kind of human I am, would Lady Ann look at me differently when I get my real form...? Maybe I'll even try going to school when I turn back...Hey, Namine, what's school like?''

''Well, let's see...''

* * *

The two went on talking for a bit before going to sleep. That same night, Namine found herself back in the Velvet Room...

''You have expelled one stained in vanity, you are one step closer to your rehabilitation.'' Igor remarked. ''It's a delightful thing indeed.''

''Our master is pleased, you should be honored, Inmate.'' Justine stated.

''However, that man's remarks are concerning. It seems another has made their way into the Metaverse.'' Igor went on.

''Yeah we were wondering about that...'' Namine frowned. ''...so you don't know anything about this person?''

''It is indeed beyond my knowledge.'' was his answer. ''But perhaps we may be able to find out with time. May the devotion to your rehabilitation grow even deeper. I have high hopes for you.''

* * *

The next day...

''Can you believe what those people on the train were saying?'' Morgana grimaced.

''About the guy who got caught naked cooking in the station? It sounds really weird and honestly kind of disturbing.'' Namine shook her head.

''I bet it's some drunkard...'' Morgana noticed a pink poster nearby. It advertised some maid service. But it sounded fishy to him. Who would go for something like that?

* * *

School went by as usual and the team was just waiting for any news from Yusuke. Giving it some more time, Namine headed up to the roof with Haru...

''Soil is such a mysterious thing...'' Haru remarked as she and Namine worked on the pots. ''It nurtures the seeds and helps them grow...almost like a mother. Maybe that's why I like gardening so much.''

''I never thought about it like that. It does sound nice.'' Namine seemed intrigued, making the older girl smile. ''So how did you start this off in the first place?''

''Actually, it's only because a teacher asked me to.'' Haru admitted. ''But then...I enjoyed it. I've been taking care of those planters ever since. It's hard work, for sure but also very rewarding.''

''I can imagine. So what're you planting there?''

''Tomatoes and cucumbers. They're easy to grow and work with.'' She took to watering them.

''Say, Haru-chan?''

''Yes?''

''Everything okay? You seemed kind of distracted when I got here. I could've sworn it sounded like you were on the phone...''

''Ah, you heard...?'' Haru picked up the watering can. ''I was, actually. That was my fiance.''

Namine blinked ''Whoa, you're engaged?''

''As of a year ago, yes. My father set everything up.''

''Ah, so it's like that...'' Namine tilted her head a bit. ''...I hope there wasn't any trouble.''

''Oh, no it's nothing. This is something I have to do. Father knows what's best.'' Haru looked down, knowing she was avoiding the question. Namine's expression said that she was aware of that too. ''It's fine, really.'' She tried to assure. ''I'm used to the situation now.''

''Does this have to do with the reason you said you're not allowed to go out much before?''

''It's related, yes.''

''...Well, it's all the more reason to work on our plans then.'' Namine raised an eye at the girl's surprise. ''You forgot, huh? I was serious about wanting company before. You want to go some place in particular?''

Haru gave a grateful smile ''Well, actually...''

* * *

As per their earlier agreement, Ann and Namine headed to Inokashira Park to meet up with Shiho.

''No wonder this place is famous, it's beautiful.'' Namine said in admiration.

''Isn't it? We used to come by here a while back.'' Ann recalled. ''I still feel like an idiot for not noticing the crap going on in school, you're looking plenty better, Shiho.''

''You think so? Well, I've been recovering...'' The girl returned. ''...you know, I like what you said about becoming stronger, Ann. I want that for me too...''

''Well, you can definitely do it!''

''I don't know...I could barely even believe that Kamoshida was arrested. At first, I thought it would be okay but going back to school was too much for me the other day. Hearing all those people talk about those times and looking at me that way was terrible.'' Shiho said with a sigh. ''If anything, I feel really weak.''

''You're not weak, Shiho-chan. You're just hurting from those horrible circumstances.'' Namine pointed out. ''It's perfectly normal, that creep put you guys through hell. Besides, a weak person wouldn't do what you did.''

''Exactly.'' Ann agreed. ''You shouldn't ever feel like that, you're letting Kamoshida get to you.''

''Maybe...'' Shiho trailed off. ''...I'm so glad he was stopped. The Phantom Thieves really came through. I want to put those awful times behind me but I don't know how...''

''It's fine, you don't have to deal with it all on your own. We'll help you figure it out, right?'' Ann glanced at Namine, who replied positively and added.

''Just don't rush anything, it'll be fine if we keep trying.''

Shiho smiled back ''Thank you, both of you.''

* * *

Ann left to head home while Shiho and Namine went for the station. As they were passing an apartment building, they barely glimpsed two figures running ahead, before a maid came out, looking irate.

''Why those little...'' She scowled, turning her head.

That wasn't the strange part...no, it was that they recognized the maid.

''Namine-chan, is that...?'' Shiho started.

''I think so.'' The girl returned, looking just as bewildered. Deciding to chance it, she tentatively asked.

''Kawakami-sensei?''

The maid stiffened before turning slightly, noticing the girls then. ''W-what're you two doing here?!''

''We're on our way to the station.'' Namine offered. ''Um, Sensei, what's with the...''

''Don't ask!'' She cut in, her tone proved that she felt embarrassed. ''Just...just forget about this, okay?!''

''Ah, all right...'' Shiho returned. ''...do you need any help?''

''I-I'm fine! It's just something I have to do! Just don't tell anyone, right?'' Kawakami relaxed a bit when the girls nodded.

''There's no reason we should tell. We'll keep the secret.'' Namine added.

''Good, I'll be going now.'' She walked away.

''What was that about?''

* * *

The next day...

''You wanna know about the transfer student?'' A girl wondered. When Makoto nodded, she went on ''Well, I didn't meet her but my friend Miki's in her class. According to her, she's totally nice. Apparently, that's how she started getting along with Takamaki and Sakamoto. Miki doesn't think she deserves the reputation she's getting. I want to meet her before making up my mind but she sounds all right.''

''I see...thank you.'' Makoto had intended to ask, as a part of her couldn't help but wonder how serious Namine had been in helping her with the other day's affair. Had it just been something on a whim or did she really care? It was looking more and more like the latter...

As it just so happened, she found the girl in question talking to Ann near their class.

''Oh, so that's what you meant by making plans.'' The blonde girl was saying. ''Well, I bet you're in for some nice surprises, there's plenty of places to visit in these parts.''

''Yeah, I figured...'' Namine was distracted when she noticed Makoto.

''What do you want?'' Ann demanded.

''Nothing in particular, though since I'm here I did think of asking if you two know anything about what happened to Kamoshida-sensei.''

''You're still at this? Well, we don't!'' Ann retorted. ''Besides, who cares? The school way better off without that bastard.''

Knowing what she did now, Makoto wasn't about to argue there ''It doesn't make sense, though. I'm not the only wondering about why he changed like this.''

''Maybe he just reached his limit and couldn't take anymore?'' Namine suggested.

''It's just too sudden.''

''Well, he did disappear for over a week.'' She reminded. ''What happened to Shiho-chan was too much for a lot of people. I bet he dealt with consequences. He might have been thinking things over since.''

The third year had to admit, that was a point. ''Fair enough.'' She sighed. ''Honestly...I'm definitely not getting anywhere with this. What is he making me do, especially now? I want to focus on dealing on finding more information for the students...''

Makoto blinked, not realizing she had voiced that out loud. ''Ah, it's nothing. I'll be going now.''

Ann watched her leave ''Don't mind her, Namine. I bet she's still following whatever the Principal says.''

''That's not really fair, we don't know her circumstances.''

Seeing what happened the other day, Morgana was also more inclined to giving the girl a break ''There's what she said though...so he's making her investigate us.''

Namine walked in the class, noticing the pink poster near the door. ''...A maid service?''

''This thing again?'' Morgana deadpanned.

''I wonder if this has anything to with Kawakami-sensei...''

''Could be, she must definitely need the money to work two jobs like that.''

Ann followed them, frowning at the poster as Mishima arrived close, wanting to greet the girls. ''Ugh, I've seen this around the school...who the heck would go for this crap?''

''Yeah, it sounds shady and low.'' Morgana remarked.

''No kidding...I'd say like only perverts would be interested in this.'' Namine commented. None of the three had noticed Mishima stiffening at her words.

''...Oh hey, Mishima-kun.'' She greeted upon seeing the boy. ''What're you doing?''

''Ah, n-nothing, nothing at all. Good morning!''

* * *

After school, Namine went with Haru per the girl's invitation to a sushi restaurant...

''Mm, doesn't it just melt in your mouth? I heard they have a special preparation method here.'' Haru smiled. ''This kind of masterpiece is nearly life-changing. Although...that may be going a bit too far. It's actually limited to one serving per each type per customer.''

''Really? That seems a bit odd.'' Namine remarked.

''I thought so too at first but it actually makes sense. That way they can deliver the ideal sushi experience to as many patrons as possible.'' Haru paused to think. ''What should we have next? There is much debate on what to order when at a sushi restaurant. Actually, ordering what we like is nice...but why don't we leave it to the chef to decide today?''

''Why not?''

''Oh, so you're thinking of taking some to a friend too. That's quite nice of you.'' Haru smiled.

''Well, I just can't help thinking how he'd like this so I figure why not...'' Namine stated, briefly thinking of how much Morgana would like this. She would have liked to bring some for her other friends but she didn't have enough money.

''I can imagine. The sushi was no more delicious than usual but this time felt more fulfilling for some reason...''

''Maybe you're the sort who likes having food with company better. I have that feeling too sometimes.''

''Hmm...that could be. Namine-chan, can we come here again sometime?''

''Sure.''

She giggled ''Great, thank you for today.''

* * *

''So Madarame doesn't know a thing, huh?''

''I'm afraid so.'' Yusuke replied. ''He seems rather...subdued. Is this normal?''

''I think it is.'' Morgana answered. ''I mean, we didn't see how the change affected Kamoshida at first. But I did hear a couple of the teachers talk about how he completely went quiet in the next few days.''

''We did pull this off after all.'' Ann stated. ''It's not really that different from last time. Anyway, Yusuke, does that mean Madarame more or less left you alone?''

''Effectively.'' He nodded. ''He did need some help every now and then but nothing really worth mentioning. He's busy with preparing for the exhibit. I've never seen him like this before.''

''Wonder when he's going to come clean though?'' Ryuji mused. ''I mean Kamoshida took like a week...''

''From what you told me it seems more dependent on the person, no? Perhaps he chose that rally to tell the most people at once.'' Yusuke offered.

''That makes sense.'' Namine agreed. ''So what did you want to talk about before?''

''I liked what your suggestion about returning the paintings to their owners. I wanted to see if we could try to do it.'' He admitted. ''I talked to Natsu-san yesterday and he offered to look up our former fellow pupils. This is not likely to be possible until Madarame tells the truth but when he does, would you help me in this endeavor?''

''Okay, they should get back what they deserve.'' She returned.

''Definitely.'' Ann agreed.

Ryuji nodded ''I'm in.''

''Thank you.''

''So why did we have to meet up all the way here, Ann?'' Ryuji moved things along.

''I need to see about a photo shoot.'' She answered. ''I've been asked to sub for a model who couldn't make it.''

''I bet you'll be great, Lady Ann.'' Morgana offered.

''Aww, thanks...''

''So out of curiosity, what did get you into modeling in the first place?'' Namine inquired.

''Yeah, I don't think I heard that either.'' Ryuji cocked his head.

''It just started out as a one time thing to help my parents.'' Ann explained. ''They're both fashion designers, I subbed for one of their models that day. They travel a lot but it makes me feel connected to them.''

''It's a little like a family project then.'' Morgana remarked.

''I guess so...I didn't mind the attention when I was a kid but now I just find it annoying sometimes...''

''Why is that?'' Yusuke looked curious.

It was Ryuji who answered ''The rumors, she's had to deal with a bunch of stupid rumors in school. Just came with a whole lotta trouble.''

''Ah, I know the feeling. Kosei can be like that too.'' He stated. ''Sadly, it's just something really common for people.''

''You got that right.'' Ann grumbled. ''Don't get me wrong, I like it. But I guess it has some negatives too, dealing with creeps like Kamoshida for one thing.'' She let out a breath. ''I'm a phantom thief now too and I'm glad to be one. Nothing's going to change that. That's just one reason why I want to get stronger.''

''Me too.'' Namine smiled.

''Heh, me three.'' Ryuji grinned.

''I feel the same.'' Yusuke agreed.

* * *

Makoto sighed to herself as she went through the school's hall the following day, thinking of the pressure Kobayakawa was leaving on her due to this Phantom Thief investigation.

Honestly, if even the police couldn't find much about them how did he expect her to do it?

While she kept wondering about them, she had to admit that what they did for the school was really good. Kamoshida had been tormenting many of the students at his own leisure and the Principal just turned a blind eye in favor of Shujin's reputation (something that still angered her). With the teacher gone, it was obvious that many of his victims felt much better off. Makoto only wished she'd known about this sooner so she could have tried to do anything for them.

In all her musings, the girl reached the stairs near the roof and after a moment of thought, decided to go up.

She inhaled and exhaled, pausing in her tracks as a flash of burgundy caught her eye, attracting her attention to Namine as she was tending to the pots and plant holders.

''Hyakuya-san?'' The girl blinked and looked back at her. ''You're tending to those too?''

''My friend's responsible for this, actually. She just had to leave early so I'm doing it for her.'' She said with a shrug, having decided to put everything Haru taught her to good use. ''So what're you doing here, Senpai? Are you still keeping up that investigation?''

Makoto sighed ''I would if I could...I just can't find much information about this gang. It's starting to look like even some of the student council were victims. Some of the members are acting strange but they wouldn't tell me much of anything.''

''Hah...that sounds a little too familiar.'' That threw Makoto for a loop. ''They must be too scared.''

''What do you mean?''

''Ryuji and I caught something strange about Kamoshida so we started looking into this. He was already suspicious because how the guy treated the track team and then we saw how battered and tired the volley ball team was. I told you how what happened to Shiho-chan was too much, right? It just confirmed a lot of our suspicions. We also found out how he deliberately taunted Ryuji and broke his leg.'' Namine elaborated. ''We tried asking the students to come clean, so we can put a stop to this but not one of them agreed to help. I get that part of the reason is our reputations but we really did want to help.''

''I see...'' Makoto grimaced, this really did sound like a repeat performance. ''...Yes, he did confess to setting Sakamoto-san up.'' She felt for the boy, really, Kamoshida was so starved for fame and glory that he went so far...She couldn't help but recall how the school handled things, Kobayakawa just seemed determined to pretend that everything was peachy. As if he could do no wrong, hell, Namine saved a student but the administration wouldn't so much as thank her.

Needless to say, those thoughts sent her already decreasing faith in the school system and the people responsible for it even lower...

''So you mentioned something about getting advice, how'd that work?'' Namine asked.

''I couldn't really get much. The police just dismisses the issue since there is not much to go on.'' Makoto admitted. ''That's why I hoped to find more information. My sister is a prosecutor. If I could have just found enough, I could ask for her help to spread the news out. She wouldn't take this quietly.''

''You're really forcing yourself here.'' The other girl stated. ''I get why this is troubling but you need to take it easy, even if a little. If you keep pushing further like this, it could just bring trouble.''

''I know...'' Makoto didn't like it but she was well aware of that. ''...I know...''

* * *

A while later, Namine went to meet with Yoshida for her first lesson...

''And while our society appears to be prosperous, many of our young people are quietly suffering.'' Yoshida was saying. ''They lack jobs, security, savings...the next generation will lead us into the future and yet they have no plan for how to arrive there...''

''Watch where you're going, you little shit!'' A man cried.

''You bumped into me, you old goat!'' The younger man cried.

''This isn't good...'' Yoshida frowned. ''...let's mediate.'' Namine nodded and he went on. ''Good citizens, please stop fighting! What is the point of bickering over such a trivial matter?''

''This is none of your business!''

''Yeah, seriously, just shut up!''

''What's with this guy?'' The two walked away.

Yoshida calmed down ''...Now if you'll please excuse me, I must return to my speech. Together we can create a bright future for the next generation.''

''Ugh, so righteous...that really annoys me.'' A spectator said. ''Enough of your arrogance, 'No-good Tora!'''

''Wha-?!''

The man went on ''As if anyone would actually vote for YOU! Are you planning to embezzle funds again? Or maybe criticize one of your constituents again? You criminal!''

''No...! Th-that was...all in the past...'' Yoshida stuttered as the crowd all left. He sighed.

''I've gone and done it again...''

Namine blinked twice ''Um, what was that about?''

''Ah, that's right, you should know...'' The man exhaled. ''...a lot would agree with what the man said. Whenever someone calls me ''No Good Tora'', I panic. I went through quite an ordeal twenty years ago...'' The girl gave a quizzical look. ''...let me explain. I used to be a member of the National Diet. I was elected during the rise of the ''Kuramoto Children.'' We were backed by powerful Diet members. This was about twenty years ago. I was very inexperienced back then, both as a politician and a human being. That inexperience led me to be involved in a series of major political scandals.''

''? Then what he was saying before...''

''Yes...People refer to my blunders as ''No Good Tora's Three Strikes.'' The first was being caught missing a legislative meeting to take a personal vacation. Then, I was accused of embezzling a large sum of money from the party...giving me two strikes. Finally, I called a voter an idiot at an open forum, which resulted in a scandal...and strike three.''

''Oh...um, whoa...''

''Yes, it's quite the pile, I know. I was out...and branded a washed up politician.'' He went on. ''You said you may consider working in politics. But do you see the man before you? Do you really want to receive my guidance?''

''Well, I knew somewhat about this. It all does sound bad, to be blunt...'' Namine admitted with an apologetic look, but he waved it off and motioned her to go on. ''...the point is you're trying, you haven't given up yet and that shows serious drive. Far as I'm concerned, you've got loads of conviction. You've been trying even when people gave you such a hard time. You're trying to move from the past, I won't hold it against you. You want to make something of your experiences, that's pretty good in my book.''

''Ah, thank you...I'm happy to hear that.'' He admitted, seeming surprised. ''Everyone says I have no chance to get elected however, so why come to me?''

''Well, what you said before caught my attention so I figured, why not?''

''I see...but I'm afraid I'm not so great that you'd be able to learn anything.'' Yoshida stated. He thought for a bit. ''The most important part about giving a good speech is believing in yourself. Perhaps one day I will believe in myself...again.'' He smiled. ''But you sure got me there. You're a strange young lady, Hyakuya-san. Very well. If learning is what you seek, then I'd be happy to instruct you. In exchange, I would like for you to continue assisting me.''

''Deal!''

''Excellent. Let's get to work, shall we?''

* * *

''Damn, Boss...'' One of the customers said as Namine gave him his coffee before going to see to another request. ''...how'd you land a part-timer like her?''

''It's complicated.'' Sojiro said simply.

''I'll bet.'' Another customer remarked. ''You know, you're one of the reasons I'm glad my friend told me about this place, Hyakuya-chan. I never thought someone pretty like you would be here.''

''Ah, thanks...'' She looked a bit embarrassed, something they didn't miss.

''What, you're not used to getting compliments? Now that's a shame.''

The two tried to flirt with her playfully for a bit but she laughed it off and went back to work. After the customers left, Sojiro decided to taste-test Namine's coffee again.

''Huh, that's not bad...'' He admitted. ''...there's plenty of room for improvement.''

''I figured...''

''Seems like you're quite the hit around here.'' He couldn't help but add.

''Eh, they were just kidding anyway.'' Namine waved it off.

''Heh, I wonder...''

Namine sorted through the things in her bag before remembering something ''Oh, I got another letter. It looks like Grandma and Grandpa are somewhere in France now.''

''You don't say?'' Sojiro eyed the pictures she held up for him then. ''Come to think of it, I remember them having some argument about that here. Yuri seemed really willing to go but Itsuki could care less, he apparently doesn't get why people like it anyway.''

''Yeah, I think I heard something about that. Grandma basically summed it up in him not having a romantic bone in his body. She must pretty happy though.''

''Absolutely...that stubborn old mule could do with letting up a little. No sense in spoiling things for her.'' The fact that the girl didn't respond told him she agreed, which she meant she knew just how blunt her grandfather could be. He still considered the man a good friend but sometimes he was just unreasonable.

''I hope he would...so how would you feel and do if you were in Grandpa's place though? I remember, those ladies from the other day were also asking about your love life too...''

''Better than him, if that's what you're asking.'' He returned. ''But I'll tell you what I told them, I didn't get married because I didn't see a need to. I've got what I want.''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _How was it? Sure I'm messing with canon a whole bunch but I hope I'm doing the characters justice. Next time would be more of the aftermath and end of the arc before Madarame's confession takes place._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 5)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 5)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 4)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 4)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 4)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 3)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 2)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 2)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 2)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 1)_


	16. Chapter 16

A couple of days passed and it seemed the team's thief activities would be non-existent as they had yet to find a ready target.

After school, Ann went with Namine, Shiho and Morgana...

''You've seen this too?'' Shiho looked amused, with Ann clearly enthusiastic to take them to a crepe shop.

Namine nodded ''She ate this crazy amount of sweets the other day like it was nothing.''

''Hey, I'm right here, you know!'' Ann huffed.

''Well you know, it's true, Ann-chan.''

''Very, very true.''

''Oh, great, you're double-teaming me now?'' She gave a mock glare but the girls merely giggled in return and Ann couldn't keep a straight face soon either.

Even Morgana couldn't help snickering at this, though they all stopped as Ann's phone rang.

''Ahh, now?!'' Ann paused. ''Oh...okay.'' She looked at them. ''Sorry, this was from my agency. One of the models didn't show for a magazine shoot they were doing. They're looking to wrap soon, so I'm gonna head over now to fill in...Its pretty close though. Wanna come with? Actually, let's just go! I'll race you there!''

''Hey, wait!''

* * *

''Ann-senpai! I'm soo pumped to get to work with you today!'' Mika beamed. ''After I saw you in last year's show, I just...'' She sniffed. ''...oh, I think I'm gonna cry...''

''U-um, it really wasn't a big deal...That fashion show was tiny...''

''By the way, I'm Mika. And please, no honorifics. I might be older but you have loads more experience, Ann-senpai.''

''All right, M-Mika...Haha, it feels a little weird saying it like that...Oh, and you don't need to use senpai with me. A-anyway, uh...it's nice to meet you?'' Ann returned.

''Likewise, Ann-chan.'' She giggled. ''You're so nice. Hey, can you teach me how to be a better model? You know, your everyday routines, stretches...''

''Routines? You mean like...singing in the shower...? Well, I run every few days too.'' If one counted their work in the Metaverse.

Namine and Shiho exchanged looks behind her, suddenly suspecting trouble.

''O-oh, is that all you do...? Then, what kinda stuff do you eat?'' Mika wondered. ''I've been looking all over for a place to import some organic green almonds. Plus I'm getting suuuper tired of eating quinoa. Do I need to like, boil it in hard water or something?''

''Um, almonds? I only ever eat those when they're covered in chocolate...'' Ann admitted. ''...And hard water? Isn't it kinda tough to boil rice...?''

''...Do you weigh yourself?'' Mika inquired.

''Oh, of course! Once a year for the examinations at school.''

''So...you're gonna keep it all a secret for me, huh? I get it...I guess it's hard trusting someone you just met...''

''Wait, she didn't say that.'' Shiho offered.

''Y-yeah! I just don't really think about that stuff...!'' Ann added.

''Ann-chan, that's...''

''It has nothing to do with not trusting you. It's more like modeling is a hobby for me.'' Ann went on.

Mika's expression confirmed their worst doubts ''...What?'' Then, to their surprise, she started crying. ''Ann-senpai, that's so horrible! What do you mean you don't care about modeling for these guys?''

''...You said that, Ann-chan?''

''W-what...no, I...?''

''That's not it!'' Shiho exclaimed.

''Right, she's just making it all up.'' Namine gave Mika a glare. ''Stop it. Just because Ann's motives are different, doesn't mean she doesn't care.''

''It's just a big joke to her though! She doesn't care and she doesn't respect everyone and their efforts.'' Mika insisted.

''Ann-chan's not like that!'' Shiho retorted.

''You tell her!'' Morgana agreed.

''Wrong again, Mika. I do respect everyone's efforts!'' Ann snapped. ''You just can't accept that I'm doing this for a different reason but that's your problem!''

''They're all so mean!'' Mika wailed. ''Have you seen how they treated me? I thought you had more class than that, Ann-senpai, to be with those girls...''

''Hey, say what you want about me but leave my friends out of this!''

''...Okay that's enough.'' The photographer called. ''Both of you stop, we'll take this some other time.''

Ann sighed, joining her friends ''...Thanks for that.''

''Well, we couldn't just leave you around her like that.'' Namine stated.

Shiho nodded ''It's the least we can do. You'd do the same if it was the other way around.'' She frowned a bit at Mika's retreating figure. ''I really wish you would stay away from her, Ann-chan, I don't see you getting along at all.''

''Yeah, she's just so close-minded.'' Morgana added.

''Tell me about it. I guess it is better to avoid her now...anyway, come on, we should go. I'll treat you to some food after all this. How about we backtrack to that shop later?''

* * *

It was after that the group split up just as Ryuji called Ann, telling her to check out the news as Madarame was making a speech.

As it so happened, the call couldn't have come at a better time...

''What's up with that old geezer?'' A passerby asked.

''Is he crying...?''

He was ''I have committed crimes that are unbecoming of an artist...Plainly put...I, um...plagiarized work...I-I tainted this...this country's art world...and...even 'Sayuri...!'' He began sobbing. ''...H-how could I...I possibly apologize.. to everyone...for...for what I've done...Aaah!''

''He's crying way too much...''

''And that was from the urgent apology conference by Madarame that took place just a moment ago...'' The newscaster stated. ''...After reporting to the association, Madarame has agree to the police's request to turn himself in.''

''Wasn't he on TV the other day?''

The news was going on ''On top of charges of abuse to his pupils, Madarame is under suspicion of claming their works as his own. Some doubt the validity that his maiden work 'Sayuri' was stolen, believing it was used for fraud. This large scale criminal act has caused a great shock to the art world, and...''

''That old man's done for.''

''After the conference, Madarame was taken to a police hospital for interrogation due to his age. However, initial psych evalutaionstate that he is mentally sound and likely responsible for his actions.''

''There's no need to be nice to an old geezer like that.''

''Why'd he spill the beans himself? Doesn't that seem weird?''

''Also, a group calling themselves the Phantom Thieves posted a dubious note at Madarame's exhibit. The police will investigate their relation this case but for now, did not identify them as suspects.''

''Phantom thieves? Do these bandits have somethin' to do with that old geezer's apology?''

''Ohh, I've heard of them before: they supposedly steal evil hearts. It's why the culprits apologize.''

''Wait, what? Steal hearts? That's impossible though.''

''But I feel like I saw somethin' about that one too. They sent a calling card for real...''

* * *

With this, the girls hurried to meet Ryuji and Yusuke, finding them both at the station...

''It's finally over...'' Yusuke mused. ''...what a relief. I'd like to thank you all again for this.''

''Ah, don't sweat it.'' Ryuji grinned while the girls smiled at the artist.

''Yeah, it's just what we do.'' Morgana stated. ''What're you going to do now?''

''Well, I'm leaving the shack.'' Yusuke returned. ''I'm not quite certain of the next best step, I did move my things to the dorms but I had a thought. I'm going to move to Ann's home, it would be a far more suitable environment to paint.''

''What?!''

''Excuse me?!''

''I brought some sweets, I hope your parents will like them.'' Yusuke finished.

''Hold it right there!'' Ann frowned. ''That's not going to happen, no way!''

''What?'' He looked stunned while the rest were merely exasperated. ''But...I bought them with all my money...''

''Why did you even think that would work?'' Ryuji deadpanned.

''Well, how about you stay with us, Yusuke?'' Morgana suggested.

''Mm, remember what I told you at the Palace?'' Namine added.

Yusuke blinked, suddenly recalling the girl promising to help him ''Ah...that's right, thank you.''

* * *

The next day...

''Morning!'' Ryuji greeted cheerfully at the sight of his friends sitting at one of the lunch tables. ''It's real nice hearin' of what went down. I think my charisma as a thief is leaking out or somethin', everyone starin' at me.''

''What charisma?'' Morgana said flatly.

Ann rolled her eyes ''They're only staring because you stand out, we're supposed to wear summer uniforms starting today.''

He cringed ''Aw, crap...I forgot...''

''Well, you're right about things being different. Even Yusuke's dealing with that over in Kosei.'' Namine remarked, thinking of the talk they had with the teen earlier.

''It was bound to be a huge hit with Madarame's reputation.'' Morgana reasoned.

''C'mon, shouldn't you all be happier? We're hitting it big time!'' Ryuji stated.

''It's called discretion. No one wants to stand out.''

''Yeah, but I guess it is nice to hear...'' Ann trailed off, noticing how Namine seemed not to care one bit.

Morgana picked up on it too but he decided to ask later ''Just try to take it easy, let's just go with something else now.''

Ann played along ''Well then how about that trip? I chose the TV station, how about you guys?''

''Same here, it sounds interesting.'' Ryuji replied. ''We've got to do that shadowing thing for future jobs...''

''Mmhm, let's just see what comes of this...'' Namine trailed off.

''Just give it your best shot and don't bring any attention your way.'' Morgana advised.

''If I work that hard , it would stand out.'' Ryuji countered. ''...This could actually be pretty good though...we could meet some actresses.''

''Of course you'd say something like that.'' Ann deadpanned.

Morgana sighed ''I hope this works out well...''

''So, anyway, I think I found a request...'' Ann started to say before a new voice called out.

''There you are!'' Mishima walked over.

''Oh hey Mishima, what's up?'' Ryuji cocked his head.

''I was wondering if you guys heard the news.'' The boy admitted. ''There's a notice the school posted earlier. It says to go talk to the student council president if you have any info on the Phantom Thieves.''

''For real?''

Ann's eyes narrowed in irritation as she muttered ''Her again...of course, that's all she cares about.''

Mishima seemed to notice this because he tried to change the subject ''So the activities seem like they're going great, huh?''

''You bet! It'll just keep getting better, we're looking to find some more requests but just wait and see.'' Ryuji returned.

''That's good, I'm sure it'll be a relief.''

* * *

Namine stayed behind in school again at the library. It had become something of a recurrent habit for her since she felt the need to reflect on her studies and catch up on what she missed due to her situation. She had missed out due to the last couple of years after all...

''That's the transfer student?''

''What's she doing here?''

''Eh, she's been coming here a bunch of times.''

''That's weird...why?''

''She's nothing like what people say, I think she's actually serious about her studies.''

Morgana rolled her eyes ''Can't they give it a rest? Anyway Namine, you think we should keep the gang investigation to ourselves?''

''Until we have anything more concrete to go on, yeah.'' She replied. ''Or at least, if we can figure out how to explain things to them without any trouble. If Nijima-senpai hung in this long, she'll probably want to see it through to the end.''

''Oh..now that I think about it, that's probably for the best, considering how Ryuji and Lady Ann seem to get so worked up with her...''

* * *

It was a while after that they left, stopping by the student council's office to see Makoto.

''Oh, Hyakuya-san, another late study session?''

''You know about that? Oh, never mind...of course you would, the rumors go around like crazy here.'' Namine stated.

''Exactly.''

''So, what's up, Senpai?'' Namine leaned back. ''Did things change for the better? You figure something out after the other day?''

''No. I hate to say it but barely...'' Makoto sighed. ''...the students are all scared. It's almost like what you told me about the Kamoshida situation.''

''...Is the principal actually doing anything to help? Honestly previous experience left with me completely no faith in his abilities.''

''That's...'' She hesitated. ''...well, I can't say I don't understand your skepticism. I just wish there was some way to end this...I can't stand the thought of letting this gang run off unchecked...''

Namine felt for the girl, she was clearly rather pressured. Expectations were pressing hard on her and things just weren't getting better. ''...Hey, for what it's worth, my offer's still open. I've...got something to deal with today but starting tomorrow I'm good to keep working with you.''

Makoto was surprised ''Why?''

''Well, does there have to be a reason? I just felt like it.''

''...Thank you. I'll get back to you on that.''

* * *

The Phantom Thieves headed to Mementos. Fox was admittedly amazed by the place and Mona gave him a brief rundown about Mementos. As the feline expected, their rise in popularity allowed them to go further in towards a new area...

They had decided to finish two jobs today. One being about the shop manager which Mishima mentioned and the other a request they heard about a few days ago, one warning about a sadistic girl who was tormenting a student.

''If only I brought my supplies...'' Fox lamented.

''Are you seriously thinking about painting now?'' Panther wondered.

''I cannot help it, this place is interesting. So how do we know where to find the target?''

''They're in a separate location. I can sense them once we're close. It shouldn't be too far now.'' Mona replied.

It wasn't long before their path was obstructed by shadows. Knowing what to do, Skull warned Fox to be ready for battle as Joker had Mona ram one of the shadows for an ambush.

The enemies turned out to be an Apsaras, a Kodama and two Bicorns. The Kodama moved fast to hit Skull with Psio before turning towards Panther for a next attack.

The girl moved first though, flogging it with her whip before summoning Carmen to cast Maragi. Mona and Zorro went next, following up with wind magic for more damage and finishing the shadow off.

One of the Bicorns tackled Fox while the other tried to stun Joker with an electric attack. The girl slashed it back, sending it reeling while Skull bashed the other one hard on the head. Fox took the opportunity to summon Goemon, who struck the three with a Vicious Strike, finishing the Bicorns off. Joker went on to shoot the Apsaras down, which allowed her to enter a negotiation and convince it to become one her Personas.

''It feels like we've gotten stronger.'' Skull grinned.

''We definitely are, all our experiences are just helping us get better.'' Mona pointed out. ''Let's keep going.''

* * *

After a few more battles along the way, Mona was able to sense the location of their first target, Shimizu. The group healed up before going to face her.

''There, that's the shadow of the girl names Shimizu...'' Mona's eyes narrowed.

''She seems like a real sadist...'' Skull remarked.

''She's calling someone her slave and ordering him around, right?'' Panther frowned.

''In a way, she's denying his existence. I certainly wouldn't want to be a victim of that.'' Fox stated.

''Let's go talk to her.'' Panther added.

''So you're the pigs who wrote that calling card online? Why do I deserve this, hmm?'' The shadow demanded.

''It's 'cause you made some guy your slave! That's all kinds of wrong there.'' Skull returned.

''That's what he wants! He worships me more than any god, you know!''

''Uh...I don't know where to begin to explain how you're wrong...'' Panther sighed.

''I beat him and I hurt him, and he sees it as a sign of our love and friendship! He's so happy!''

''None of this is right...'' Joker frowned.

''Don't waste your time, Joker. She's completely delusional.'' Fox scoffed.

''I'll never give him up! He belongs to me! Being my slave is what makes him happy! I'll make you learn your place. You'll be licking my shoes, peasants!'' The shadow cried.

She transformed into a Yaksini, who glowered down at them. She was then surrounded by an intense aura.

Mona's eyes widened ''Everyone, look out! She's charging up power!''

''It won't do you any good!'' The enemy cried before hitting them all with multiple fast strikes, which seemed to be particularly on Mona and Joker, downing them. Cackling, the shadow charged at them for another attack but Skull intervened.

''Hit it, Captain!'' His persona flew out, using Rampage on command to throw the shadow back.

Fox attacked next, using ice magic to nail the shadow's side before running up and slashing her, leaving her to grow more angry. She kicked him back and proceeded to cast what they recognized as Tarukaja before striking Panther next.

''You're not going to beat me!''

Joker pulled herself up and summoned High Pixie ''Media!''

The party was surrounded in glowing green light that healed them, Mona soon followed suit with the same spell.

''It's time we fired back, Zorro!''

''High Pixie, Garu!''

The two wind spells combined, becoming stronger and blowing the shadow back.

''Nice work, you guys!'' Panther kept the assault by striking the shadow a few times with her whip, giving Fox a good chance for another attack while Joker shot the shadow twice, knocking one of its weapons away.

This gave Skull enough time to cast a Tarukaja on himself before he summoned Captain Kidd to rampage again. This served as the final blow, as the shadow fell.

''No, no, no...No! I don't want to lose him. He's mine. He's mine, isn't he?'' The shadow wondered.

''You're still talking like that?'' Mona frowned a bit.

''...Why don't you try talking to him?'' Joker suggested. ''Just have a heart to heart and see what happens. At this rate, he'll really hate you.''

''I could never stand that...''

''Why did you start treating him like that in the first place?'' asked Panther.

''He just kept going along with it. I misunderstood and thought I could do anything I wanted...Actually, I...wanted to be more than friends with him.''

''More than friends? You mean like a boyfriend?!'' Panther exclaimed.

''Yes, I had a crush on him, but then I got possessive. Those feelings went out of control...''

''At least you realize it now.'' Joker offered.

''Yeah, be careful that you don't make things worse for yourself than they already are.'' Panther added.

''...Okay...'' She disappeared.

''Ah, the treasure has shown itself!'' Mona chirped. ''...Whoa, is that a whip sword?''

''Somehow, I have a feeling it's rather fitting.'' Fox stated.

''...Same here, Fox, same here...''

* * *

The team went back on their way to deal with Odo, the shop manager, who was on a lower level...

''Hey, I just remembered...'' Mona started. ''...Fox, what do you think about talking to a reporter? We ran into one before and she was looking to write an article about Madarame.''

''I see...'' The teen thought it over. ''...I wouldn't mind but I would prefer to keep anonymity.''

''I don't think it'd be a problem.'' Panther offered.

''So how's the paintings issue going?'' Skull wondered.

''Natsu-san told me he was going to talk to the police today.'' Fox replied. ''We would like to make sure the rightful owners of the paintings receive them so I think they would understand. He's leaving some for me in the Kosei Dorm to take care of later.''

''That's good-whoa!'' The blond exclaimed as he saw more shadows appearing. This time there were a Jack-O-Lantern, an Agathion, a Mandrake and an Archangel.

Fox attacked the Mandrake but it dodged just in time, tackling him in counter. The Jack-O-Lantern aimed a Dazzler attack at Panther, who tried to strike it down, only to be surprised when she missed.

''Ugh...what's going on? It's like I can't focus...'' She cried out as the Agathion lunged at her before it began to attack again.

Joker cut it down before looking at Panther and using an Alert Capsule on her.

''Thanks...that's better, let's go Carmen, Maragi!''

The blast finished the Mandrake, allowing Panther to knock the nearby Agathion to the ground before Joker took it out.

Recalling the explanation he heard on the workings of elemental magic, Fox aimed a Bufu spell at the Jack-O-Lantern, causing a lot of damage and easily finishing the shadow off.

Skull attacked the Archangel, who dodges and blasts him with Makouha. He retaliated by having Captain Kidd cast Mazio, which it barely dodged in time.

Seeing that speed gave Joker an idea. ''Arsene! Eiha!''

As she guessed, due to her Persona's natural speed the curse spell landed easily, causing a lot of damage as another of the shadows' weaknesses became clear. Skull hit its side with his pipe before he followed Joker's lead and held the shadow at gun point. This gives the girl ample opportunity to negotiate and have the Archangel become one of her masks.

''That's that...'' She let out a breath. ''...Mona, which way do we go?''

''We're not too far, actually. I think it's just at the end of this tunnel.''

* * *

''There he is...'' Skull's eyes narrowed at the sight of Shadow Odo.

''What an unpleasant smile.'' Fox remarked.

''It's his customer service smile, right? Yet behind the scenes, he's extorting his subordinates.'' Mona recalled.

''It might get worse if we don't do something.'' Joker offered. ''Let's go!''

''Welcome, welcome! How may I help you, ladies and gents of the Phantom Thieves?'' The shadow asked.

''Why'd you blackmail your own employees? That's not normal!'' Skull exclaimed.

''My shop is a directly managed store of a large chain. Since I'm highly competent, I'm in charge. I don't need strangers complaining about how I use the shop's money. Part-time workers are the property of the ship. Thus, they are mine to us as I will.''

''Property?! Who do you think you are?!'' Panther demanded.

''I get it now, you pretend to be heroes. But the truth is, you're all criminals. I'm gonna kill you!''

In moments, he transformed into a Setanta shadow and snarled ''I'll show you brats your place!''

He jumped up high and dived, hitting Skull a second later. Smirking, he made to raise his weapon but Fox attacked then, forcing the shadow back.

''You little...''

''Jack Frost!''

The enemy looked up, seeing the snow man spirit appear before it cast Rakunda on command. He laughed it off ''What was that supposed to be?''

Fox and Mona attacked next, slashing him in tandem for greater damage. Joker kept up the offensive and summoned Nue.

''Skull Cracker!'' She ordered, the shadow was sent crashing due to the powerful blow.

Shadow Odo stood and raised a shield that seemed to disappear almost at once. Panther had Carmen try to burn it only for the shield to negate that. It soon becomes clear that it was a one time thing as the girl's whip nails it mark next.

He tried to dive at Skull again but the teen dodged and bashed him in the gut, leaving it winded. Skull then hit it on the head before calling for a Mazio from his Persona.

Grunting, the shadow tries to shake the damage off and cast another shield. Knowing what was up, Mona acted first.

''Zorro, Lucky Punch!'' As he gathered, the shield blocked the move. ''Now, Magaru!''

''Carmen, Maragi!'' Panther called.

The spells combined and got more powerful, leaving the shadow reeling. Fox shot it down and it was wide open, the team hit it with an All Out Attack, ending the fight.

''I'm sorry! Am I really not worthy of being the store manager...?'' The shadow cried.

''Is it really a surprise? A good manager wouldn't do this.'' Joker remarked.

''Yeah...I remember now...Employees aren't property, they're humans...And yet, I took advantage of them. I-I've done bad things...! I don't know how I can ever make up for this.''

''You've done quite a bit more, haven't you? It'd be best if you just confessed to everything.'' Fox chipped in. The shadow disappeared and the treasure turned out be...

''Chinese sweets?'' Panther blinked.

''I see. so he was lining his own pockets.''

''Well, anyway, we're done now.'' Joker reminded. ''Let's go back.''

* * *

''Hey, we're doin' pretty good, right? It's all the more reason to have a celebration party!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

''Sounds good!'' Ann agreed.

''Yeah, it'd be Yusuke's welcome party too...'' Namine agreed. ''...but what should we do?''

They stopped to think for a bit before Ann had an idea ''Hey, what do you think about having a hotpot?''

''I like it!'' Morgana stated.

''So do I, that seems quite nice.'' Yusuke added. ''But where would we do this?''

''Namine, you think we can do it in the attic?'' Morgana suggested.

''Hmm, sounds all right but I'll talk to Boss first.''

''Gotcha, we'll leave it to you then.'' Ryuji returned.

* * *

''Huh, I guess it'd make sense you want to have a little party with you all being friends with that artist now. Sure go ahead.'' Sojiro had heard about Yusuke from her before so this wasn't all that surprising. ''The stuff they were saying about that fake artist was nasty. He must be glad to be free of him.''

''You have no idea.'' Namine affirmed. ''I kind of wanted to talk to you about that too, Yusuke left the shack but he isn't sure about staying in the dorms. Is it okay if I let him stay here?''

''You're asking me?''

''Well yeah, why not? You own the place and you're my guardian. I figure it's only right.''

''You're almost too nice sometimes...I still can't figure out how you got stuck with that reputation...''

Namine gave him a flat look ''I'm sorry, do you want me to be snarky and sarcastic? I think I can try and pull it off.''

''Hey, I'm not complaining. Just making a statement.'' He returned with a smirk. ''Seriously though, it's fine by me. Good to hear that you're looking out for a friend.''

''Thanks...''

Sojiro remembered something that had left him puzzled from the news ''Is it actually true that Madarame and his students lived in a shack?''

''He only pretended to live in it. Anyway here, have a look...'' She showed him an online picture of the place.

''...You're kidding, right?''

''Yeah, that was the general reaction, really.'' She put her phone away. ''Oh, I'm not sure when we'll start but we're going to help Yusuke give the paintings Madarame stole to their owners.''

''Oh?'' Sojiro looked mildly impressed. ''That's pretty kind of you kids. Good luck.''

* * *

 _Okay, let's stop here._

 _What do you think? I hope it was good. I'm not so good with fight scenes so it takes a while for me to decide on those. As much as I think the wild card thing is cool, having to decide Namine's Personas is kind of hard..._

 _Anyway, this basically wraps up the Madarame arc. Next chapter marks the start of the Kaneshiro arc. As I think would be clear, it won't be like in canon but you'll see what I have in store eventually._

 _So I just have one thing I keep wondering about...I've been watching some game videos and I noticed a pattern, do all the confidants figure out that the MC is a phantom thief? I'm not quite finished with them but it seems to be happening at least three times. I know I'm not exactly following the canon route with Namine so I really don't know for sure how I'll be doing the confidants. But it did surprise me._

 _Anyway, I hope you like the story and please leave a review, it would be nice to hear opinions of how I'm doing so far._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 5)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 5)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 5)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 4)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 4)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 2)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 2)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 2)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 1)_


	17. Chapter 17

_Well, I'd just like to take a moment to thank Tercra and Guest for answering my question in the last author's note. Here we go!_

* * *

During one of her previous visits, the twins had shown Namine the compendium of spirits which they kept in the Velvet Room. It had a lot of empty pages but they seemed to get filled in more as she learned about the Metaverse.

For instance, it even helped her gain some info about spirits they had seen before and for some, that meant it would show her to fuse them.

Such as the Shiisa Caroline and Justine had requested earlier. This was what led to her fusing her Jack Frost and Apsaras persona to create the Shiisa...

It certainly seemed intimidating at first but the next thing she knew, it was happily bounding towards her with only the cell bars blocking its way. Namine gave a bemused look and patted its head, the spirit gave a small growl of appreciation before fading away and becoming one of her masks.

''You actually did it...''

She blinked and turned right, almost forgetting that Caroline was there. Justine soon joined her ''So you have the requested Persona. Well done, Inmate.''

''You might actually be worth our time, after all.'' Caroline added. Namine raised an eye but she decided not to respond to the temperamental girl since she really didn't feel like getting into a fight. ''Anyway, Justine tell her that. It's on the list right?''

''Indeed. I will assign your next task, should you complete it, we will reward you by offering some of the Velvet Room's services.'' Justine informed.

''Services?'' The girl looked around, noting how other than the area before her, most of the room was still too dark and misty for her to see much.

''You may consider it an incentive, also something to help you grow stronger.''

Namine thought it over. The twins may not have been the most friendly people but they hadn't steered her wrong yet so...

''Well okay, if you say it'll help, there's no harm in waiting and finding out. What exactly do you want me to do?''

''Try to harbor a Matador with Magaru within you.'' Justine replied. ''You only need to speak with us once you do and we will be able to sense.''

''Got it.''

* * *

As they agreed early on, the team gathered after school to help Yusuke and Nakanohara give back the paintings to Madarame's former pupils. The latter had taken care of the more further ones, leaving the team to look around the city and start.

The beginning hadn't gone off too well, as they hadn't been able to find the first young man from Yusuke's list and they quickly learned he traveled. The next one was a woman who lived near Takenobo street.

It was also hard as they could tell she had decided to cut her ties with art. She did decide to hear them out though, considering that she had kept touch with a few other pupils and she somewhat recognized Nakanohara and Yusuke. The woman had also been pleasantly surprised with their efforts so she decided the least she could do was hear them out.

''We're not saying you should just ignore what happened...I know that's unreasonable but it just seems like a waste, leaving that painting of yours to the garbage.'' Ann told her. ''Yusuke's our friend and after hearing about Madarame...we don't want things to end up like this.''

''I see...'' The woman started. ''...well, I never did think I would care after what that horrid man did, it's only thanks to my family that I'm doing this well now. I did enjoy painting...''

''Then please, don't give up.'' Yusuke urged. ''I understand that things changed but I hope you don't throw your talent away. That man has caused enough damage, I wish we can all cut him out of our lives.''

''Amen to that.'' She agreed. ''Well...I appreciate you kids going through all the trouble. This is really a surprise so I'll think about it.''

''That's all we ask, Ma'am.'' Namine returned. ''Giving the paintings back is only fair, you all deserved much better than this.''

''Thank you. I've actually been keeping touch with a few other pupils. Should I contact them? I've only met Nakanohara-san a few times but I think he would want to talk.''

''That sounds good.''

''All right then.'' She nodded to herself. ''As much as I think you're doing good, I feel I should warn you. Don't be surprised if others turn the idea down all together. Some of us...didn't take the truth about Madarame as well as others.''

''It's cool, we just gotta try.'' Ryuji assured.

* * *

The next former pupil happened to be someone Yusuke knew more this time. They learned that he was disgraced and ruined due to Madarame's schemes after he defied the man. He was now a cadet in the police station...

Unfortunately, Cadet Maehara also happened to the proof of the warning they received coming true fast. As in, he reacted very badly when they explained everything. Like so...

''You kids are out of your minds. I don't want anything to do with art!'' He thundered. ''And you, you've got some nerve showing your face after all the crap you kept telling me about the bastard being such a damn good guy. Get out, right now!''

The teens did just that, seeing Maehara slam the door. Ryuji cringed ''Geez, what's his problem?''

''I've never seen anyone so...angry.'' Morgana said after a moment. ''Yusuke, what was he talking about?''

'His mood did seem to get worse when he recognized you.' Zorro added.

''That's...'' Yusuke grimaced. ''...he's right to be furious with me. The last time we met, I was still defending Madarame like a blind food. He trusted my word since I lived with him all that time. I never knew what happened to Maehara-san exactly but he left about a month after we last spoke. He wasn't like this, he was passionate and temperamental sometimes yes...but this...''

''What do we do now though?'' Ryuji wondered. No one had an answer.

Moments later, they were approached by someone. ''Excuse me?''

It was a teenage boy about their age with shaggy brown hair and reddish brown eyes. ''Can you tell me what's going on? I heard someone shouting a lot. I assumed there might be some trouble.''

''Nah, nothing like that. He basically blew his top off...'' Ryuji grunted.

''?''

They gave him a brief run down of the situation. He nodded after a moment ''I see...so you want to help give the paintings back. That's certainly kind of you. It seems Maehara-san didn't take that well though?''

''That's an understatement.'' Ann replied. ''He practically blew up on us. Do you know the guy?''

''Not really. I did talk to him a few times. He did always give the impression that he was bitter. We only realized why recently with the truth about Madarame coming out.''

''I don't blame him. He's just another victim.'' Yusuke remarked.

''I'd hate to leave things this way though, he's lost enough because of Madarame. No way he'll listen to us after that reaction but still...'' Namine bit her lip.

''Why don't I help you then?'' The brown haired teen suggested. ''I might have an idea. Cadet Maehara's brother is a high ranked officer. That's how he was able to help him cope after Madarame almost ruined his life and why he got this job. If anyone could get him to calm down and hopefully understand it would be the senior Maehara-san.''

Namine was pleasantly surprised ''Wait, really? You wouldn't mind?''

''Not at all. I just came to wrap something up anyway and I certainly agree with you that there's quite enough damage to go around with. I'm not sure if it would work but it's better than nothing, correct?''

''Definitely, thanks!''

''You're welcome.''

Yusuke wound up going with him to explain everything, leaving the others to wait. Ryuji sighed ''This is some turnout.''

''Yeah but at least we have some help. It's nice of that guy to step in like that. Wonder who he is, kinda forgot to ask his name...'' Ann trailed off.

''I wonder if this will work.'' Morgana tilted his head.

''Well, there's no way to know for sure...but at least it might be a step forward.'' Namine offered.

* * *

Later on, they each went on their ways and Namine headed to meet Yoshida per the latter's request...

''Passing on the societal ills we have created to the next generation...'' Yoshida stated. ''...is not right! It will take time to solve this problem. However, we must start by making small changes!''

* * *

''I hope you gleaned something useful from today's speech.'' Yoshida smiled. ''Regardless of the audience size, you must convey your thoughts as if you're talking one to one.''

''So you make sure you never ignore anybody, right?''

''Precisely. By the way, in politics, you need to work to pursue your goal with all you have. There will be those who oppose you but as long you remain strong and true to yourself you will succeed.'' Namine nodded and he continued. ''I remember what you said before so let me ask you...Let's say for a moment that you do decide to be a politician, what kind?''

''Hmm...well, I think it'd be best to be one with conviction.'' Namine stated. ''I mean, people would want to become popular for votes and stuff but I don't know about taking that. It doesn't say much about the politician, just that they only please the crowd. So it'd be best to have some who is firm to their words and principles. You'd think they're accomplishing something at the very least.''

''Interesting...'' Yoshida smiled. ''...I couldn't agree more. What's important is what lies within. Giving speeches is just something I came to learn over the years as a politician. Allow me to give you some advice...As you say, conviction is important. That's why, if you aspire to enter politics, you must possess a central philosophy. What is that you want to accomplish...? That is the foundation of a great speech. You'd do well to remember that.''

''Oh...makes sense. If I don't have a goal in mind, I'd just be rambling.''

''Exactly. By the way, my philosophy is to never give up until your voice is heard.'' He declared firmly. ''To get your message across, be tenacious in conveying your thoughts to the audience. Have a firm point of view and communicate it clearly, that's the first rule of negotiating.'' He laughed. ''You have me reliving the fighting spirit I had when I first became a politician!''

Namine looked amused, she didn't know what to say to that but he certainly seemed happy. There were no troubles with the speech this time so it was good turn all around.

* * *

It was later around evening that the girl met up with Shiho, both taking seats at one of Leblanc's tables...

''There was this one place I wanted to see in Shibuya but with all the rumors going about...''

''Yeah, it's a bad idea.'' Namine gave her a brief rundown of the recent trouble in Shujin, leaving the girl surprised.

''Whoa...is the school doing anything to help then?''

''I'm not sure about the school...'' Namine was seriously skeptic about that part, considering what happened before. ''...but Nijima-senpai is...''

''I see...'' Shiho nodded when she finished explained everything. ''...that sounds rough. She's under a lot of pressure.''

Namine hummed in agreement ''You know much about her, Shiho-chan?''

''Not really...I did wonder about the rumors before.'' She admitted. ''But it's hard to imagine her not caring about the students. Especially with how far she's going now.''

''My thoughts exactly.'' Namine leaned back. ''So you're doing much better, huh?''

''Mm, my parents have been helping me keep up with my studies.'' Shiho admitted. ''Remember when you saw us the other day? Well, I've been troubled about going back to Shujin since. Last time was bad...and it just made me remember. Namine-chan, the truth is my dad suggested transferring schools.''

The other girl looked surprised but she thought it over and she could understand how Shiho felt. It had to be hard...Namine's irritation with the students came back at full force, they only made it worse for her.

''Oh...so what're you going to do?''

''I haven't decided yet. A part of me wants to but it still feels like I'm running away, I'm not really comfortable with that. For now, I'll just take a look at schools and see what happens.'' Shiho replied.

''That's a good idea.'' Namine returned. ''Even if you do come back to Shujin, we're going to help you through it. Either way, you can count on us having your back, Shiho-chan.''

''Right...thank you.''

* * *

It was the day of the trip to the TV station and all the second year students who had chosen to go were led by a couple of teachers to the building. They were met by a PR woman who began taking them on the tour.

Anyone who might have felt excited to come here was regretting it now. The tour was frightfully dull and the guide was talking to them like they were kids. The worst part was, in the end, they got roped into working along with the station staff instead of actually enjoying themselves a little.

''I'm so pissed off! Why the hell do we gotta be doing this? Aren't we supposed to be guests?'' Ryuji grumbled.

''Calm down, I get how you feel. That really did suck...'' Ann exhaled.

''We gotta be doing more of this tomorrow?''

''No flaking out, Ryuji.'' Morgana returned.

''I know, I know. I gotta be a 'good boy', right?'' He grumbled. ''Bein' phantom thieves ain't easy...''

''That reminds me, we get to go home straight from here today. We don't spend much time around here. Why don't we relax and check out some shops beforehand?'' Ann suggested.

''Sounds like fun! It would totally make up for this.'' Namine smiled.

''No kidding, I'm all for it.'' Ryuji stated.

''Oh, I know a place! I wanna go to that huge pancake looking place we passed on the way here! It looked delicious, what was that?'' Morgana asked.

''You mean Dome Town? The round part is a baseball stadium, then along the outside they've got an amusement park.'' Ryuji replied. ''It's right in the middle of a business area, but they have some pretty hardcore rides there too.''

''All right, let's go! I'll show you how courageous I am!'' Morgana declared.

''Going on a scary ride doesn't really prove any courage.'' Ann returned.

''Not like cats can get on anyway.'' Ryuji added.

''Really?''

''Really. You might be able to sneak in the bag but you'd totally puke if you do that. But let's just go to Dome Town. I'm really feelin' it now!''

''Me too. My stomach's ready for roller coasters!'' Ann smiled.

''Guys, tone it down. I think you're scaring Mona.'' Namine half-smiled.

''No, they're not!'' The cat stated. ''I...I think I'll pass on the puke rides though...''

The sound of footsteps made the four look back, seeing the brown haired boy from yesterday pass in the hall.

''Oh hey, you're here too?'' Ryuji cocked his head.

He seemed just as surprised to see them ''Ah hello there, so you're all students from Shujin?''

''Yeah, thanks for yesterday by the way.'' Namine added.

''That was nice of you.'' Ann chipped in.

''Oh, it's fine. I'm glad that worked. I thought it was only right to help, you're effectively working with the police.''

Ann gave him a curious look ''Well-wait, we were so caught in that mess yesterday that I forgot to ask, what's your name?''

''Ah, right, it's Akechi Goro. Though now that you mention it, I never did remember to ask about yours either.'' The three introduced themselves in return. ''It's a pleasure. I'm actually here to see about a few details to filming for tomorrow.''

''Filming? What, you a celebrity?'' Ryuji asked.

''Only to extent of appearing on TV a couple of times...'' His expression darkened for a moment. ''...My apologies, I truly was just passing by. I must be going. There's a briefing for tomorrow's recording that I have to attend.'' He smiled. ''So you're going to have pancakes now? I missed lunch today so I'm quite hungry myself.''

''What're you talking about? No one mentioned that.'' Ann informed.

''Oh.'' He blinked. ''My mistake. I could've sworn I heard someone talk about about something of the sort...No matter, welp, see you tomorrow.''

''Ah, it was nice seeing you again.'' Namine called. He caught her eye and smiled back in acknowledgement before leaving.

''Don't be so nice to this guy.'' Ryuji told her.

''Why not?''

''He's just jealous.'' Morgana smirked.

''Yeah, right!'' Ryuji retorted. ''It's not like we know much about him. That guy's gotta be some kinda start up entertainer or something...He's never gonna get popular with that kinda hair though.''

''You don't get it.'' Ann stated.

''Eh, whatever. We'll see him tomorrow anyway. Come on, let's go to Dome Town!''

''Guys, can we skip the vomit machines and get cake instead?'' Morgana asked.

* * *

Later on, that night...

''So, a little reminder about blends now.'' Sojiro started. ''Anyone can work out brewing coffee but blends are different. You have to be really careful to get them just right.''

''Like how you were talking about that Jamaican beans blend before?''

''Exactly.'' He affirmed, seeming pleased that she remembered. ''I've got some back home, we'll work on a few next time.''

Namine nodded, turning a little as the door opened then, revealing the man with the dark blue cap.

''You again?'' Sojiro frowned.

''Oh, cold as ever, Sakura-san!'' The man chuckled. ''I'm here to talk about that deal, as you know.''

''I told you, I don't have the money.''

''Oh don't be like that.'' He returned. ''I know you're keeping something. You've got this cafe and you're looking after this employee of yours for practically nothing after all . It looked like I was interrupting a chat. Why don't you try being as nice to me as you are to her?''

Sojiro was clearly getting fed up ''Look, I'm busy. If that's all you have to say, I'm waiting for a phone call...''

''That's fine. I think I'll talk with your cute little charge here.'' The man returned, ignoring Namine's frown.

Noting that he was in trouble, Namine had a thought. She discreetly took out her phone and dialed a number. Just seconds later, Sojiro's phone rang.

His eyes widened a bit as he saw the number before speaking ''Yeah, hello...ah, right...'' He looked up at the man. ''...this is the social services call I was talking about. They call everyone in a while to check on the kid, you want me to introduce you?''

''A-ah, no! It's fine, it's fine!'' He left.

''...Doesn't he have anything better to do?'' Sojiro looked at Namine. ''I didn't think you had it in you, thanks.''

''Sure...'' Namine wanted to ask but she wasn't sure it was a good idea.

''I should explain, he could come around when I'm not there.'' The man went on. ''That guy's an old...acquaintance of mine. He's trying to force me to give him money because of a past issue.''

''Can't you report him or something?''

''I would but the problem is he's related to her...'' Sojiro paused, seeing the girl's curious look. ''...ah, never mind. Just thinking out loud. You're going back to the station tomorrow right? Try not to look bad in TV.''

''...Boss, I swear...sometimes you're horrible.''

The girl's delivery of her response made him laugh. ''Just making a statement.''

* * *

The students gathered back in the station again, all taking seats to watch a show being filmed live...Eventually came the part plenty of people seemed to be looking forward to.

''Akechi-san's coming on!''

The announcement caused quite the chatter among the crowd. ''It's Akechi-kun!''

''He's so cool!''

''Oh so he's up now.'' Ryuji leaned back.

Morgana noted the crowd's reaction. ''For all he said yesterday, Akechi seems pretty popular.''

''Cutting back from commercial!'' The assistant went on before doing a countdown.

''And now, onto the Hottest Meet and Greet segment of our show...'' The female announcer said ''...after his last appearance was so well received, we decided to bring this gentleman back today. It's the high school detective, Akechi Goro!''

''Hello there,'' the teen said with a smile.

''Thank you for taking the time to join us today, Akechi-kun. Your popularity is stunning.'' The male announcer said.

''Even I've found it to be quite a surprise, it is a bit embarrassing though...''

''Moving along, we've been told there's a case on your mind right now. Care to share, detective?''

''Ah, yes. That would be the scandal involving the master artist Madarame.'' Akechi replied.

''There it is! All of this P.T excitement has caught your attention too, Akechi-kun! Allow me to be blunt for just a second. What do you think of these justice-oriented Phantom Thieves?'' The second announcer added.

''If they are truly heroes of justice, I sincerely hope they exist.''

''Oh, so you don't deny the possibility that they're real?''

''I may not seem like it but I sometimes wish that Santa Claus actually existed. Although if he did I'd have to arrest him for breaking and entering.'' Akechi paused. ''But hypothetically speaking, if these Phantom Thieves are real...I believe they should be tried in a court of law.''

''That's quite the statement. Are they committing crimes? Some people even say that the Thieves are actually helping their victims abandon their evil ways.''

''What the artist Madarame did was truly an unforgivable crime. However, they're taking the law into their own hands by judging him. It is far from justice. More importantly, you should never forcefully change a person's heart.'' He stated firmly.

The male announcer thought this over ''You have a point. These people are calling themselves the Phantom Thieves after all. Amazing as always, Akechi-kun! I could listen to you for days! You have the most radiant charisma!''

''I have to say though, I would be embarrassed if it turns out that they don't exist. If that were the case, I'd summarize it into a report as a school project.''

''Now then, let's try asking some students the same age as Akechi-kun about the Phantom Thieves!'' The female announcer said. ''First, please press the button now if you think they exist.''

Ryuji's eyes narrowed as he proceeded to do just that ''Of course they do!''

The screens up front displayed the result. ''About 30% or so? What are you thoughts, Akechi-kun?''

''I'm a bit surprised, that's higher than I was expecting. I'd love to hear some more detailed opinions on the Phantom Thieves' actions.''

The female announcer started walking around, eventually stopping ''All right, let's try asking this student here. Hypothetically speaking, what are your thoughts on these Phantom Thieves, if they were real?''

''I'd say they've been necessary.'' Namine replied after a moment.

''You say that with such firmness.'' Akechi noted.

''This completely goes against the opinion you had about them being tried by law, Akechi-kun.'' The male announcer remarked.

''Indeed, it's rather intriguing to hear such a strong acknowledgement. In that case, there's one more question I'd like to ask. If someone close to you, for example your friend next to you, if his heart suddenly changed...wouldn't you think it was the work of the Phantom Thieves?''

''No, they only target criminals.''

''I see. But how can you be so sure?''

''I believe in them. They've done plenty of good. It's a little different for us, you're speaking objectively. But it's hard as far I'm concerned since we've had to deal with one of those incidents before all this started.''

''I assume you're referring to that P.E teacher? So your opinion is affected by circumstances. That's fair. It seems they've impacted your life more than any of us.'' The female announcer noted.

''Indeed, it would be hard to remain impartial then. Whether the Thieves' actions are good or not, I feel there is a more important issue at hand.'' Akechi paused, at the announcer's inquiry, he explained. ''The matter of how they change people's hearts. If they honestly possess that ability...it could be used for more than extracting confessions. It could be that what seem to be ordinary crimes are actually being perpetrated by these methods.''

''You know, you're absolutely right.''

''Oh, please don't misunderstand. This is all purely hypothetical. It is only if people who can use such a power truly exist. Either way though, this cannot be ignored. The existence of the Phantom Thieves would be a threat to our everyday lives. To be honest, I'm already working alongside the police to help sort this matter out.''

* * *

''So much for thinking he was all right, I really don't like that guy...'' Ryuji grumbled.

''It kinda seemed like what he was saying might be right...'' Ann remarked.

''He made it sound like we're the baddies. I don't like it.'' Ryuji frowned.

''But the stuff about the police, do you think it's for real?''

''He can say whatever he wants. The justice of it all is is something we can decide for ourselves.'' Morgana stated.

''I think you're right.'' Namine agreed. ''If things really were so black and white as he seems to think, we never would've had to become phantom thieves.''

''Exactly.''

''Oh, sorry, I gotta go take a leak. Can you wait here? I'll be right back.''

Ann frowned ''Oh my god, I'm gonna keep going, okay?''

''Oh, it's you!''

Namine blinked and looked to the left, starting when she saw Akechi. ''I'm glad I found you...I wanted to thank you in person.'' The girl gave him a quizzical look. ''To paraphrase Heigel, advancement can not occur without both thesis and antitheses...''

''Ah, meaning you're open to hearing both sides of an exchange?''

''Effectively yes.'' He smiled. ''I found our discussion quite meaningful. Few people around me are so willing to speak their minds as freely as you did earlier. Adults are only interested in using the young, while they simply do as adults say...I feel like our discussions could prove quite fruitful. Would you mind talking with me again sometime?''

''Sure, it's fine.''

''Thank you. It makes me glad to hear that...The students from Shujin are truly quite interesting.'' He stated. ''I look forward to seeing you again. Well then.'' He turned to leave.

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the Justice Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power._

''...Talk about a problematic guy to get involved with.'' Morgana remarked.

''Maybe but wouldn't it be worse if I refused? It'd just look odd.''

''I'm not arguing with that. This is a good chance, there's probably a lot we can learn from him though.''

Ryuji walked over ''Sorry for takin' so long...wait was that Akechi? I can't stand that high and mighty attitude. Just breathin' the same air as him makes me sick. Come on, let's go.''

* * *

Later, that evening, back in Leblanc...

''Hey, kid, you've got a visitor.'' Sojiro called.

''Hm?'' She poked her head out of the kitchen to find...''Nijima-senpai?''

''Good evening.'' Makoto walked over. ''I asked around and was told you lived here. Hyakuya-san, were you serious about the offer that day?''

Namine remembered suggesting that she help the older girl before. ''Yeah, sure thing. You want to start now?''

''Please.''

* * *

Makoto led her to the apartment where one of the members of the student council lived. It seemed the boy they found had known what this was about because he was less than friendly right from the get go...

''Please tell us what you know. If we can just give the police enough information...'' Makoto started.

''Yeah, right, like they can do anything.'' The boy scoffed. ''If they were going to stop that gang, they should've done so before! It's not going to help at all. Just leave it, Miss Prez.''

''You can't be sure.'' The girl retorted. ''I want to do something about this to help the students.''

''What can any of us do?'' He scoffed. ''I'm just hoping to play along so those guys will be done with me and that's that. Not much we can do against a big gang like that.''

Namine noted his words and tone ''...The students are far from the only victims, huh?''

''By the way they were bragging? I'd say almost definitely.''

''Isn't there anything you can tell us?'' Namine wondered. Frankly, with her own experiences, she had about as much faith in the police as he did. She wasn't about to voice that feeling though. ''At least so we can spread the word in school and make sure everyone is well informed.''

The boy sighed ''...Fine, when you put it like that...''

He proceeded to tell them everything he was willing to share, some of which fit with what the girls learned during their visit to Shibuya. Deciding that he was done, the boy left.

Sadly, this worked much better than their other visit as the second student Makoto had in mind didn't even want to so much as see them. All he would say over the intercom was that what they were doing was useless and there was no point.

Makoto sighed as they left the building ''...Suddenly I have a very good idea how you and Sakamoto-kun must have felt while dealing with Kamoshida.''

Namine wasn't about to deny that this whole deal really was vexing as their attempt was back then. Unfortunately, if they didn't have enough info about this gang there was no way for the Phantom Thieves to do anything for the time being. It was party why she hadn't told the rest of the team about the situation.

''You know, with how resigned they are, I can't help but wonder how long this gang has been around.''

''That's a good point.'' Makoto remarked. ''They must be even more powerful than I thought. I just can't stand this though. If only they were cooperative I'm sure things would be different! I wish they were the only ones! Why does it have to be this way?!'' She paused, noticing Namine staring at her in surprise and confusion. ''...sorry, I...''

''It's okay. Go on, I'm sure this must be frustrating.''

''It really is...'' Makoto sighed. ''...I just can't help but wonder...more of the students are supporting the Phantom Thieves as the days go by. I even heard a few of the students wishing they would stop this gang. But then we have people who won't even give the police a chance...is it really that hopeless?''

''Ah, what do you think of the Phantom Thieves, Nijima-senpai?'' Namine asked curiously. ''You're investigating them too right?''

''Yes...I was asked to. But to be honest, I'm not sure what to make of them. It seems like they've done plenty of good so far but still...if they found all this information, wouldn't it have been better to go about it differently? They're criminals themselves this way.'' She remarked. ''Hyakuya-san, how do you feel about them?''

''Well, I support them. I would say they did what was necessary. They don't just pick any request you know? They fully make sure that the person targeted has to have a change of heart.'' The girl returned. ''Honestly...I wonder how just the law can be sometimes. I learned that it can be manipulated easily.''

''You did? How?'' Makoto's eyes widened as Namine gave her a brief rundown of the reason she was brought to the city. ''So you were trying to help that woman but this drunk turned it all on you? That's terrible!''

''Yeah, well...things are looking up for me, so I'm managing...'' Namine stated. ''...so, I know you don't like it but honestly, I'm wondering if the police really can help. I mean it would be nice if things were that simple but when have they ever been that way? The Phantom Thieves' interventions are the last resort from where I'm standing. Look at it this way, what would've happened if the Phantom Thieves hadn't formed? There's a big chance we'd still have to put up with Kamoshida for one thing.''

''That's...'' The older girl hesitated, but knowing how much Kobayakawa defended the man, there was no arguing that statement. He was still obsessing over the school's reputation too...

''I'm just saying that both situations are similar. Back then, the students were just forced to accept things for the way they are now because they didn't see a choice. Because people turned a blind eye to their suffering.'' Namine stated. It was because she couldn't do that that she chose to become a phantom thief. ''Isn't it about the same here? They haven't been given reason to think otherwise.''

''When you put it like that...'' Makoto had to give the girl that one. It wasn't like the school was doing anything to help the victims of the gangs after all, can they really be blamed for not believing in the higher authorities?

She had a thought ''...I heard about what you did before...the way you stood up against him for others. Even after all that happened, you still want to help?''

''Yeah, well...I can't just look away from something I know is wrong. I'd regret it forever if I don't try to do anything.''

''I see...I wonder if the same goes for the Phantom Thieves.'' Makoto closed her eyes for a moment. ''At any rate...thank you, Hyakuya-san, you've given me a lot to think about.''

''No problem, Senpai, I offered to help before.''

''Nevertheless, I appreciate it. Let's stop our investigation for now, we should go back.''

* * *

The Phantom Thieves began their celebration for their recent success the following day, getting together at Leblanc. They brought over ingredients and got busy making the hotpot.

The five enjoyed the meal after that, sharing stories and getting to know each other better in the midst of it.

''Those seniors really tried to haze you like that?'' Morgana snickered.

Ryuji grumbled ''Don't remind me...do I want to know how you found out about that story, Ann?''

''Rumor mill.'' She returned simply.

''Ugh, 'course it was that...''

''Well, at least you got to avoid the worst of it. They were the ones who got labeled in the end, right?'' Namine remarked.

''Yeah, serves them right too.''

Talk shifted soon to Ann and Shiho, with Namine informing them of her talk with the latter the other day.

''Damn, she's considering transfer too?'' Ryuji grimaced. ''...Not that I blame her, really...sheesh, you'd think the school could have handled this better.''

''I'll say, the students were barely any better...'' Ann scowled. ''...she says nothing's decided yet but looking at it from Shiho's view, it's hard to see why she would want to come back.''

''Yeah, she's been through a lot.'' Morgana remarked and Yusuke nodded.

''Hmm, Shujin seems somewhat similar to Kosei from the looks of things.'' The artist mused. ''Either way, labeling is common around both parts.''

''Oh yeah, that's for sure...''

''Well, when it comes to gettin' labeled, nobody's got it worse than Namine.'' Ryuji remarked.

''Is this about her past?'' Yusuke asked.

''Now that I think about it, we never heard the details.'' Morgana realized.

''Well...it was like this...''

She told them what she had told Ryuji that night in the ramen shop. All about trying to help that woman and the drunk tripping and blaming her. How he forced the woman and the police to play along to his wishes...

''You guys more or less know what happened after that.'' Namine concluded.

''Just listenin' to it pisses me off...'' Ryuji scowled.

''You got an assault on your record just for that?'' Ann clarified.

''The woman sounds quite horrible as well. She's stayed quiet all this time.'' Yusuke frowned.

''That man is just the kind of person whose heart we should steal! Who is he and where can we find him?!'' Morgana demanded.

''I told you before, he insisted on being anonymous. And I just can't remember much about him...with the way things went doen...'' Namine trailed off.

''Oh...well, considering what happened, I'm sure it must have been a real shock...I understand all too well the pain of not being able to remember the important details of your life...''

''Yeah, but we'll help you around that.'' The cat spared the burgundy haired girl a grateful look.

''The victim's personal information is always kept secret. Identifying the man will prove difficult.'' Yusuke mused. ''Besides, the courts already made their ruling, didn't they? Whatever we do, Namine's record won't go away.''

''I can't stand it...'' Ryuji's eyes narrowed.

Ann decided to voice something that had been bothering her for a while ''You know, there's one part I can't help but note..Namine, didn't anybody try to help you? You mentioned your grandparents and they sound awesome but what about your parents?''

The other three realized she had a point. The news she was keeping was likely bad as Namine appeared uncomfortable at this right away.

''That's...''

Morgana groaned ''I can't believe I didn't notice that before! This whole time I've been living here and I've never heard of them contacting you...''

''Maybe you just missed out?'' Ryuji suggested.

'He didn't.' Arsene countered. 'I believe Namine told you all before. She's been forced to face this all on her own.'

''Wait, you don't mean...?'' Yusuke started.

''Your own family believes that load of crap?!'' Ann looked stunned.

''...Yeah, Mona wasn't missing out on anything of the sort. I haven't heard a thing from them since my arrest.'' Namine stated. ''...I'm not going to tell what happened that night because trust me, you don't want to know. They've made their stance in this really clear.''

''Well then, they're terrible parents.'' Yusuke stated. ''I've only known you for these recent weeks but can tell you'd never do what you were accused of.''

''Same here!'' Ann agreed and Morgana nodded.

''Thanks but...it's just how it is.''

''This world is so messed up! The weak are left to fight for themselves, while rotten adults get away with what they want!'' Ryuji cried.

''And those in power don't do anything to help the situation.'' Morgana added.

''Can't we fix it though? Nobody would even know...'' Yusuke trailed off. ''...we just need to show the world what true justice is. We'll make them come to their senses.''

''You're right, Yusuke, that's gotta be what our powers are for!'' Ryuji agreed.

''Yeah, that's one of the reasons I want to keep this going.'' Namine admitted.

''Sounds good to me. The flashier the missions, the cooler we end up looking.'' Morgana smiled.

* * *

Soon after that, the four teens headed to the public baths while Morgana decided to go to sleep. As they settled down in the warm water, Yusuke had a thought,

''Out of curiosity, what do you think of Ann and Namine as women?''

''Well...'' The blond started. ''...Ann's personality is kinda rough but her looks totally make up for that...''

''I see...I shall be sure to tell her that.''

''Please don't!'' Ryuji said at once.

''What of Namine then?'' Yusuke pressed on.

''Well, she's a brilliant fri...'' Ryuji caught himself and gave the teen a dark look ''...you know what, forget it. We're not doin' this.''

* * *

On the girls' side...

''Why would you even ask that?'' Namine demanded, raising an eye.

''Aw, come on, it's natural!'' Ann returned. ''What? You really weren't interested in dating anyone, even if at least lately?''

''No, I'm definitely right now anyway. I didn't feel like it before anyway. Not to mention, things have been crazy hectic for me. I didn't really get around to thinking on that front much...''

''Ah, right...'' Ann realized she might have put her foot in her mouth there. After all, her friend had lost the two most recent years of her life. She had just been coping with it all when she wound up being forced to come to Tokyo. ''...I'm sorry.''

Namine waved it off ''...Since we're doing that kind of talk, what about you? No one catch you interest?''

''Not in the slightest.'' Ann replied without hesitation. ''Sure, dating would sound nice...for that to work it has to be someone who likes me for who I am, not just going at it to get in my pants.''

''My sentiments exactly.'' The burgundy haired girl stated. ''Oh yeah, remind me to show you the pictures Grandma sent me. They're in France now and it all looks amazing.''

''I'll bet. They're lucky...it would be great to go on a tour like that. You're so introducing us to them, by the way.''

The girl laughed ''You got it.''

* * *

The four began to go on their respective ways home when Ann spotted a shop and decided to take a look, with Yusuke going along with her. It was then that Ryuji and Namine spotted Mishima walking nearby.

''Hey, Mishima!'' The blond called out, making the boy stop and look at them in surprise. ''What's up? Why the long face?''

''Hey, Sakamoto, Hyakuya-san...let's just say my plans failed big time.''

''Plans?'' Namine echoed.

''Yeah, well...ah...''

Ryuji happened to note his glance at her then, which gave him an idea ''What, were you planning a date or somethin'?''

''How did you know?!''

The teen blinked ''For real? I was kidding!'' Mishima groaned. ''Sorry man, what happened?''

The other boy sighed ''I was planning to meet a girl who I got to talk to on the Phan-Site...she's a fan of the Phantom Thieves. We were supposed to meet up in the station but I waited and waited and she never showed up. I tried checking up on her and she said she was sick.''

''You never know, she might have been.''

''She didn't even sound close to it though...'' Mishima stated. ''...no wonder there's all sorts of talk about online dating. That was terrible...''

''Well, don't feel too bad. If that date didn't work out, you can just try again. You can make it work, Mishima-kun.'' Namine offered.

''You think so?''

The girl nodded and Ryuji added ''Yeah, you should probably not try this again though.''

''Heh, I hear you...Thanks, I'll see you guys in school.''

''The prisoner Namine has returned.'' Justine stated.

''You're in the presence of our master, stand up straight!'' Caroline chided.

''The bonds that you have reeled in are quite intriguing...'' Igor said with usual grin. ''...in other words they all have been unfairly labeled by society and are standing up against such fates. Have you noticed? Your heart seems to inspire theirs.''

''You think so? I don't know if I'd put it that way...I'm just going by what I think is right.'' Namine admitted.

''My, how modest. A good trait indeed.'' Igor chuckled. ''Outcasts of society...in other words, you're picaresque. Deepen your bond with them. Those will become the strength behind your rehabilitation...I look forward to it. I shall grant you an ability befitting of you newfound your growth.''

''Ah, thanks, Igor...''

''You're quite welcome. May you continue devoting yourself further to your rehabilitation.''

* * *

 _Okay, let's stop here._

 _Whew, seems like I piled a bunch of stuff together. I did consider breaking this into two chapters but I just didn't want to go for it after all...Anyway, I hope it was good. Gotta admit, Akechi was one of the characters I've been looking forward to introducing in the story. Let's just say there a few ideas I want to try with him._

 _I've been organizing my work for this story. I pretty much got plans set for Kaneshiro and Futaba's arcs and even a couple of ideas for Sae's and Shido's...my current main problem is Okumura's Palace. I just don't know how to handle that part of the story. There are things I'd like to try but I can't decide if I should implement them in his Palace or Sae's. I'm kind of biased in a way since Haru's one of my favorite characters and I'm sort of on the fence about what would happen to Kunikazu, because I honestly don't want to kill him. One of my ideas would wind up involving him. Bottom line is, I'm kind of torn..._

 _Haah, sorry, I just wanted to get that out in the open. It's frustrating me..._

 _Anywho, thanks for anyone who read, reviewed and follows my work and I hope you stay with me._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 5)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 5)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 5)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 4)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 3)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 3)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 2)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 1)_


	18. Chapter 18

_Vangran: Thanks. I'm still working on it. I also think Kunikazu could make a great father once the change of heart takes root. From what I've learned, it sounds like he was close to Haru before his desires got out of control. Well, I'll try to figure it out. Anyway, about Kaneshiro, you'll see starting next chapter, this is all about the set up for it._

* * *

Early in the morning, Namine wound up back in the Velvet Room and around the same time Yusuke had woken up early. He decided to leave quietly and avoid waking his teammates, who were clearly still restful. He found Sojiro preparing for the day downstairs and the two soon began to talk after the barista gave him a cup of coffee.

''It's such a delight to enjoy coffee of this quality.'' Yusuke smiled.

''I know the kid offered to help and I'm all right with that. You could stay until you find a place, you know. I can't promise it'd be comfortable though, but I think Namine will try to make it be that way.'' Sojiro stated.

''Thank you, but I'll return to the dorm.'' He returned. ''I realized something after talking with everyone last night. Perhaps it's due to my upbringing but I don't know anything of the world, let alone other people. If I'm to depict people in my art, I need to learn more about them I must learn to interact with them. I'll return to the dorms...and start over by talking with the people closest to me.''

''I see. Good on you for realizing that yourself.''

''There's no need to exaggerate. May I come again sometime to enjoy your coffee?''

''My doors are always open.''

''For all her kindness, Namine's been through a lot too, from what I've heard...'' Yusuke mused. ''...Are you related to her?''

''Huh? Oh...I'm not. I'm friends with her grandparents.''

''I may be overstepping my boundaries but why did you decide to take her in?''

''My reason, huh...I guess it's partly because of them. They did ask me to anyway.''

''That's all?''

''Doesn't take much when someone takes consideration on someone else. Your art instructor-um former, that is. He must've felt something for you too, besides just stealing your talents.''

''Truth be told...I cannot hate him from the depths of my heart either.'' Yusuke paused. ''I should probably get going...''

Sojiro raised an eye ''Hey, you sure about this? The painting I mean, it'd be a waste to keep here.''

''Even if I kept it at the dorms, it'd only be met with skepticism. I doubt it'd want that. Adding a hint of color to an otherwise ordinary day...I'm sure my mother would've done the same.''

''...I see. I'll hold on to it for you then.''

''Thank you for the coffee.'' Yusuke grabbed his bag. ''...I'll come again.''

* * *

Namine woke up a little later to learn that Yusuke had left, and the artist explained his plan to her with text messages. While surprised as it did come out of the blue, she understood how he felt and wished him luck before leaving for school.

The four thieves got together at lunchtime, deciding to hang out in the courtyard after a while...

''...Man, that detective from yesterday pisses me off! We're some kinda threat?!'' Ryuji scowled.

''Hey, keep your voice down.'' Namine cautioned.

''Yeah, this isn't the time to just talk freely!'' Morgana added.

''Ah, just ease up. No one's here!'' Ryuji huffed. ''If someone else could help 'em, we wouldn't be doin' stuff as the Phantom Thieves to start with!''

Ann bopped Ryuji on the head ''They're right, you're too loud!''

''Who cares? Everybody's talking about this stuff anyway! It'd just be more suspicious if we were whisperin'.'' His eye twitched. ''Hey, you really just gonna be eatin' and eatin' that stuff by yourself?! Gimme!''

''Sorry, just ate the last one.'' Ann admitted.

''You guys are too laid back. The police are getting involved, you know.'' Morgana reminded.

Ann frowned ''So...we're going to be okay if we keep doing this...right?'

''We can't let the cops scare us outta being Phantom Thieves.'' Ryuji stated.

''But...what about that weird guy from Madarame's Palace...there's a lot we don't know.'' Ann returned.

The sound of a click startled the four, making them notice Makoto as she walked over. ''You three seem to be having so much fun, I'm a little jealous.''

''Are you snooping on us again? We told you, we don't know nothin'.'' Ryuji grunted.

''Why do you think I'm here to question you?'' Makoto retorted.

''Oh, like you aren't?'' Ann scoffed.

''Hm, not quite. I couldn't help but notice how upset you seemed. My ears are always open to the trouble of my peers, you know.''

Ann frowned ''You're really that hungry for a recommendation letter?...Of course you are. Like anybody would take your annoying job if they weren't.''

Makoto's eyes narrowed ''What's that supposed to mean?''

''You're student council president, right? Wouldn't you have known about Kamoshida?'' Ann returned.

Makoto bit her lip ''Of course not! He honestly was a good teacher until that day...''

''Oh, but you always take the teacher's side. Like a good council president, right?''

''Then...how about you? What did you do for your friend?'' Makoto asked. ''For all your anger at me, the facts are clear. Hyakuya-san here was the one who intervened to talk sense into her. The fact is, you were much closer to her than we both were, how did you help?''

Ann was getting angry ''There wasn't anyway to help on my own...I couldn't do anything for her!''

''Hey, come on...'' Namine started. ''...look, there's no point in looking back now and starting fights, okay?''

''...True.'' Makoto relented while Ann turned her head.

''If those phantom thieves are our there helping people, I'd root for them, no questions asked.'' Ryuji stated. ''They've gotta be more dependable than some people I know.''

Namine couldn't help but note how the girl winced then ''...Just make sure you show up to classes, all right?'' She left.

''You know what I asked earlier about whether we'll be okay if we keep this up? I take it back.'' Ann said firmly. ''I'd be ashamed to let it end now.''

''Yeah, that's more like it.'' Ryuji stated.

As Makoto walked away, she heard Namine speak ''Guys, would you lay off Nijima-senpai? She's actually trying to do some good.''

''I'm not seeing it.''

''Look, it's hard on her too. You know what it was like for us dealing with Kamoshida, well it's worse here...''

* * *

The team debated their next move again after school. Morgana glanced at the big window of the station nearby before turning to Namine ''Shouldn't we tell them about that?''

''I don't know, Mona. It's not like much changed since we talked about this before.''

''Yeah, but still...''

''What're you guys talking about?'' Ann asked.

'There's no need to hesitate. You've done what you could, it's time to bring more heads into this.' Arsene stated.

'Exactly, what's the harm? They can help.' Zorro added.

Namine sighed ''Fine...guys, the thing is, we might be close to finding a new target.''

''Are you serious?''

''Why didn't you tell us before?'' Ryuji added.

Morgana took over ''We were looking for more details. It's still pretty vague. But it's only getting harder.''

''You don't say?'' Yusuke looked curious ''How did you arrive by this news anyway?''

The two proceeded to explain about the situation with Makoto, leaving the others surprised. Ann frowned a bit ''You're really way too kind, Namine. You shouldn't trust someone like her.''

Namine groaned ''This is the other reason why I didn't want to say anything. Are you guys even listening to me?''

Morgana sighed, he really couldn't blame the girl. After all she had tried to point out the facts they learned about Makoto but it really seemed like that hadn't done any good.

''So just tell me, what exactly do you know that isn't started up by rumors? That's why I decided to talk to Nijima-senpai.'' Namine went on. ''I know what it's like being treated badly because of stuff like this and I didn't want to do the same thing to others.''

''I was surprised too but Namine's right on this one.'' Morgana added helpfully. ''I think that Nijima girl really does care. It's just that not counting Namine, no one's even tried to help her. She's facing trouble like what you guys told me about with Kamoshida before we really got to work on the Palace.''

Ryuji grimaced, when he put it like that, the boy could imagine it happening. ''Gotcha...what do we do then?''

''I can answer that.''

Everyone followed the new voice to its source to find Makoto watching them.

''What're you doing here?''

''Hyakuya-san just finished explaining the issue, it's the same reason I'm here.'' Makoto stated. ''I know you're all acting as the Phantom Thieves.''

To say the five were alarmed might be putting it mildly. ''What're you talking about?''

''There's no point pretending, I heard you all talking at lunch. Besides...'' She played a bit of the recording she had kept on her phone, affirming that she had in fact saved the conversation in question.

''...So you're here to threaten us?'' Ann scowled.

''What the hell?'' Ryuji demanded. ''Namine was just trying to talk us into cutting you a break...''

''Yes, I'm aware.'' Makoto offered. ''Which is just why I came to talk now. I needed to have something to make sure you wouldn't try to get rid of me again.''

It was then that Yusuke realized how bad the interactions between his friends and the brunette went. It really did seem that Namine was the only one willing to hear her out in the first place. ''...Then what did you have in mind?''

''...Before I explain, let me ask, why are you doing this?''

''We're the only ones who could...or even _would_ do anything sometimes, Senpai.'' Namine replied. ''We're bringing unseen evils to light, fighting for those who can't fight for themselves. That's what the Phantom Thieves are about. We want to encourage others so they gain strength. That's why it doesn't matter what the police says about us, we do this to help people.''

''Precisely.'' Yusuke crossed his arms. ''We all know what it's like to be oppressed, but that's just why we can help others out of this. From my understanding, if they hadn't acted, odds are Kamoshida might still be out there. I know for a fact that Madarame would still be...they were the reason I gained courage to fight him.''

''I see...'' Makoto closed her eyes for a moments. ''...you were right, Hyakuya-san. I've been thinking about our talk the other day for a while. That's what helped me decide. It's just like you guessed, Prinicpal Kobayakawa is completely ignoring the issue of the gangs, even thought it's affecting more students as the time goes on. He's just invested in discovering the Phantom Thieves. He's trying to force me to keep this up but I can't...I've had enough. I don't know if the police is doing anything at this point. But I can't stand letting this gang keep going. I just don't know what to do...No matter what people say, as things stand the Phantom Thieves have done plenty of good. That's why...I came to ask you to stop this gang.''

Everyone sans Namine and Morgana were surprised. She went on ''Consider it a test if you will, I want to see what the Phantom Thieves are truly about.''

''Did you find anything new?'' Namine inquired.

''It's not much to go on but...I think the person you should be looking for is the leader of this gang. He calls himself a mafia boss and it looks like he's that dangerous loan shark you learned about in our first search.'' Makoto crossed her arms. ''Well, you can say I'm here to see about the Phantom Thieves' justice. What do you say?''

Namine glanced at her teammates in turn, seeing them nod back before she looked back at Makoto. ''We'll just have to show you the truth about us.''

The older girl began to smirk ''I hope to see this confidence pay off.''

* * *

Their joint investigation started the following day. After talking things through, the Phantom Thieves started off with Shibuya to try and gather some information. At the beginning it semed pointless but none of them were ready to simply lay down and call it quits.

In the midst of her search, Ann happened to spot a couple of students she vaguely recognized from school. Both seemed to be worked up about something, with one particularly panicking about making a time limit while the other just tells him to hurry it up.

Thinking that such a shady deal could easily start in secluded places like a back alley, Morgana decided to try looking into those with Ryuji's help. The teen thought it wouldn't hurt to ask for extra help so he decided to text Mishima, knowing how the boy liked to be well-informed.

As it turned out, Mishima knew about the rumors they were looking into. Upon learning why Ryuji was asking, he mentioned the talk about a boy who started acting strangely after supposedly having gotten a new job. He promised to look into it and to get back in touch if and when he found new information.

Eventually, Morgana and Ryuji were able to find a student who stopped to talk to a homeless man. Neither were close enough to hear everything said but it was clear that there was some code and process involved.

Since it was getting close to sunset, the team decided to retire for the night...

* * *

Yusuke had gone back with Namine and Morgana to Leblanc as he wanted to see the Sayuri.

Morgana went upstairs but Namine soon picked up on how troubled their teammate seemed to be.

''Hey, something wrong?'' She tilted her head.

''I suppose...I have much on my mind.'' He admitted. ''I have decided to expand my horizons as you know, I now realize how limited my perspective was. How naive I have been...In order to be able to paint true beauty, I feel the need to understand the human heart. The trouble is...I haven't been able to paint like I used to ever since I learned the truth about Madarame. It seems I've entered a slump. Namine, what do you think I should paint to capture the contents of the heart?''

''Hmm...something like a dream world maybe? Something deep and profound.''

''Perhaps-wait, a world...deep...that's it!'' Yusuke had a thought. ''Mementos! The desire that emanates from that place is the root of humanity. You have a unique perspective, Namine. Would you come with me to Mementos?''

''Well...if you think it'll help, sure. We've got some time.'' She returned.

''This distorted realm, teeming with shadows...the physical embodiment of the desires of the human heart...'' Fox murmured as he continued to paint. ''...the same thing which brought forth the beauty of the Sayuri can also create such morbid fabrications. Very fascinating...''

''The heart is akin to an abyss.'' Fox paused. ''Regarding the cause of slump, I may have an idea...In that other dimension, I have seen the perversion of Madarame's heart...It was then the art realm I so believed was distorted by greed and unchecked desires. That is when the world's true ugliness became clear for me. And from that point forward, my brush has been stayed by crippling hesitation...Does pure beauty truly exist? And can hands tainted by Madarame's depravity capture it?''

''I think you can. Have some faith.'' Joker stated. ''Look, he might have taught you, but you're better than Madarame. You'd never sink to his level.''

''Thank you for the kind words...'' Fox returned. ''...but the fact remains that I have yet to find an answer that feels suitable.''

''...What's the matter? Have you been overcome by an urge to paint?'' Fox asked, noticing the girl looking around.

''It's just...I'm not so sure painting here is a safe idea.''

''Your concern is understandable. However, I feel a revelation coming.'' Fox's eyes widened. ''...Truly, inspiration has struck! Such brilliant composition, this must be it! My heart races!''

''Um, that's...''

The two were startled when two shadows appeared before them, turning into slimes.

Fox's expression hardened ''How inelegant! You wish to carry out your distorted will, foolish Shadow? I shall cut you down for interrupting my work!''

* * *

After the battle...

''It seems I've become too passionate...'' Fox remarked. ''...you have my thanks, Joker. I'm glad you were here.''

''Hey, don't worry, I did promise to help.''

Fox gave a small smile ''Hm...your presence makes me think of Theo.''

Joker blinked ''Theo?''

''I was referring to Van Gogh's brother Theo. Van Gogh did not achieve fame in his lifetime but he found an admirer and supporter in his brother.''

''Oh...well, glad I can help.''

''And I thank you for that again. I'm aware that this could be troublesome. Not to mention that there aren't many willing to deal with my...eccentricity.'' Fox remarked. ''Allow me to aid you in return. I hope to be able to help you regain your lost passion for music as well.''

''T-that's...'' Joker was honestly thrown, she didn't expect that at all.

Fox was distracted though when he noticed a card in her hand ''By the way, what're you holding?''

''Oh, I picked it off one of the shadows before.''

''Hm, whenever I see a blank paper I have an urge to paint on it. May I?'' The girl gave him the card. ''Ah, yes, I have it...hm, this will work...''

Both discovered a surprise when he finished as the card started to glow.

''What in the world...?''

''I think you might have just created a skill card, Fox.'' Joker perked up. ''That's a pretty handy power.''

''Indeed.'' Fox seemed pleased. ''Joker, would you mind helping me further? If I overcome this slump I may be able to aid the group more. I know, why don't we act like the thieves we are and strike a deal?''

''Sounds good, I'll be counting on you.''

''Yes, you can rely on me.''

 _I am_ _ **thou,**_ _thou art_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity..._

 _With the birth of the Emperor Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

As she headed off from school to meet with her friends and get Shibuya the following day to continue their search, Namine happened to come across Akechi.

''Ah, hello again, Hyakuya-san.'' He smiled. ''Since I am now involved in the investigation of the Phantom Thieves, I thought it would help to come here and learn what I can about them. This is the place of their first operation after all.''

''That makes sense...so what did you find?''

''Oh, quite the interesting information. I believe you're aware of the Phantom Thieves' forum?'' The detective went on when she nodded. ''It's more useful than I imagined, to think it even helps them take requests. They haven't made a move yet but I wonder who they'll target next. Do you believe it'll be someone evil?'' He hummed when the girl replied positively. ''I see but how are you so sure?''

''How are you so sure that the opposite would happen?'' Namine countered. ''I've just decided to keep faith. The Phantom Thieves did plenty to help people. You didn't see how bad things got here because of Kamoshida. What's worse, his victims didn't even try to oppose him because they were so convinced that there was no point. You know we're friends with Yusuke, so I know plenty about the situation with Madarame too. Both of them were powerful, because they preyed on others. People just gave up, thinking it was no use to even try. Sometimes I can't help that society seems to be apathetic...but that's just why I can have in the Phantom Thieves, because they fight for those whose voices are unheard.''

''I see...'' Akechi looked thoughtful. ''...I think I understand your point of view more now.'' He raised an eye. ''By the way, I've been wondering...why does the atmosphere around here seem so tense?''

Namine sighed ''There's loads of rumors spreading around, nothing good. And Shujin's rumor mill is crazy fast.''

''Hmm, I've seen something similar in other schools.'' Akechi recalled. ''It seems like a waste of time. Finding the truth out shouldn't be too hard if they try, what with resources like the media at easy reach...At any rate, thank you for your time. I should be going now.''

Namine nodded back, watching him leave for a few moments ''...Huh, I didn't think of it before but I wonder if I should've told him about the gang situation...''

''That's likely not going to help.'' The burgundy haired girl blinked and turned her head, seeing Makoto approach her. ''I'd be surprised if Akechi-kun hasn't heard about it yet. Either way, he's just cooperating with the police. I can't even be sure if they are going to act in the first place...especially since we're still in square one.''

''That's true...''

''Anyway, I was hoping to find you.'' The brunette admitted. ''I think it would be useful to exchange contact info to help with this investigation.''

''Oh good point, sure, let's do that.''

* * *

Thanks to Mishima's information, Ann and Ryuji were able to find the boy from the rumors. But he had refused to talk about it, only giving minimal details when pressed. Ann tried to convince him that she needed the info as she wanted a new job but the whole thing failed. The only good that came out of it was the boy leaving in a hurry as he talked on the phone, leading to them hearing him mention something about a meeting near a street.

''I told you to stop.'' Ryuji stated.

''Oh shut up, I almost had him!'' Ann retorted.

He snorted ''Yeah, right...that was so fake.'' Ignoring the girl's glare, he went on. ''Never mind that, we should go. I think I figured out where the place he meant might be.''

It turned out to be a back alley near the Protein Lovers' Gym, the place where he and Namine had started to visit recently. Having informed the girl with some texts, Ryuji and Ann met with Namine there and they were soon found by a man.

''Hey, you three got some time?'' A man walked over. ''I got a great job for you. It's real easy, guess you could call it a delievery job.''

''What kind of delivery job.''

'It seems we didn't have to look very hard in the end.' Makoto thought as she walked closer.

''You're high schoolers, right? Don't you want something than just your allowances?'' The man went on.

''Hm...by delivery, do you mean that of suspicious materials?'' Makoto inquired, bringing their attention to her.

''Heh, you're a funny girl.''

''So you won't answer?'' Ryuji cocked his head.

Makoto frowned ''Then I was right...''

The man walked closer ''What's up with you anyway? Why're you asking all those questions, huh?''

''...We'll call the cops.'' Namine warned, surprising the girl.

''...It was all joke. Why would I get worked up over some dumb kids? Anyways, I can't hang. See ya around.''

''U-um, if you don't want to deal with us, we could always go see your boss.'' Makoto suggested.

''You're really gonna say that, knowing who he is? Heh, no way I believe that. Welp, I'm outta here, you kids are annoying me.''

''Was that the best you could do?''Ann demanded.

''I had to try something.'' Makoto said defensively. ''I'm pretty sure he's part of the mafia we're looking for.''

''So what do you want to do?'' Ryuji asked.

''...Let's get some proof before anything. I tried to do trick him into saying something but he dodged all my traps.'' Makoto paused. ''By the way...thanks for standing up for me, Hyakuya-san.''

''I wasn't going to just watch that.''

''I'm...going to home now.'' They began to leave.

Before making to follow her friends, Ann turned at Makoto ''Namine might be taking it lightly but I'm not. Don't think we haven't heard about you questioning the students about her. It's like you were just angling to find something wrong, or to get her in trouble.''

''No, I just wanted to...'' The girl started to say.

''She's trying to trust you but I really don't see why she'd bother. It sounds to me like you just played along with whatever people told you. Kamoshida being a good teacher, Namine being a criminal...If what happened already wasn't bad enough, now you're holding that recording on us. She says you're doing for the students but I'm not convinced. You certainly haven't helped before.''

She walked away, soon finding Namine, Ryuji and Morgana not too far away...

''That boss seems tricky.'' Morgana was saying. ''No wonder the police are having trouble capturing him. Anyway, you have some serious guts. You didn't back down at all against that hooligan.''

''No kidding, you stopped him right in his tracks, Namine.'' Ryuji half-smiled.

''Ah, well, you guys would have done it too.'' She waved it off. ''Anyway, this just keeps getting worse, huh?''

Ryuji nodded ''Yusuke said somethin' about how the trouble spreading even in Kosei. It sounds like this mafia boss really has everything planned out.''

''So what do we do?'' Ann wondered.

''For now, it's best to call it a day.'' Morgana offered. ''Staying here after the sun sets seems like asking for trouble, should we meet up tomorrow?''

''Where though? We can't just talk about this in the station.'' The blonde pointed out, making them stop to think.

Ryuji had an idea ''Don't they rent out rooms in karaoke? How about we go there?''

''That could work! It's private but it could also have enough noise to make sure we can avoid any attention.'' The cat stated.

''Then let's do that, we'll go over after school.'' Namine said, the other three nodded.

''See you guys tomorrow then.'' Ann took her leave.

''Actually, Namine, can we talk?''

She looked at Ryuji ''Sure, what's up?''

* * *

The now group of three stood outside the monjayaki place. Morgana looked at Ryuji ''What's the deal? You're a little too secretive for just food.''

''That's not what this is about.'' The blond frowned. ''I've been looking into things. Turns out Yamauchi's coming here to meet with another teacher.''

''So what, you want to spy him?''

''Yeah...I'm not missing this, he could spill the beans about the track team.'' Ryuji stated. ''If he does, I want to record him on my phone.''

''...That's actually smart for you.'' Morgana's retort would have made him snap but the cat then added. ''You're forgetting something though.''

''What's that?''

Namine decided to answer ''Ryuji, wouldn't he recognize you?'' The teen cringed, having indeed not considered that. The girl spared him from having to respond ''Well it's a good thing you got some help now, isn't it?''

* * *

While her friends waited outside to be safe, Namine noted the teacher who matched Ryuji's description of Yamauchi and discreetly took a table that was close enough to get a clear recording from.

The man seemed to have arrived a while ago and was waiting for someone. Once another teacher arrived, they began to talk.

''Wow, you can really hold your liquor, Yamauchi.'' The second teacher remarked.

''Mmhm, I've had some experience.'' He stated. ''Back in my college days, we'd rent a yacht for the weekend and have massive parties. I must say though...the sake's been tasting particularly sweet lately.''

''No surprise there. Things have been much calmer without Kamoshida. Those were some real dark times for Shujin though, huh? But now that he's gone, you finally get the chance you deserve, Yamauchi!''

He chuckled ''Don't flatter me. He had his strengths, sure but because of him our volleyball team will be forever scarred. The only real option now is to abandon it completely. There has to be a way to bring Shujin back into the limelight though. That's where I come in...''

''With the track team, right?''

Namine frowned, activating the recorder on Ryuji's phone which was hidden in her bag. Yamauchi nodded ''The students who went through so much hardship under Kamoshida rise up again with a caring new advisor...It'll be the rebirth of a team that found themselves in the depths of despair, the public will love it. Despite my lack of track and field knowledge, I'll form a tight bond with the students...I'll be the protagonist of my very own tear-jerker and of course all the praise for reviving them will go to me, their incredible, loving advisor. I'll have to hire a great coach if I want to pull this off though.''

''So you're gonna pretend to coach them while someone else does the legwork? Amazing, Yamauchi!''

The man smirked ''Such stunning achievements will look great when it's time to hand out bonuses...But I'm not gonna stop there either...I'll publish books, give motivational speeches...''

No matter she looked at it, he was barely better than Kamoshida. He didn't care at all about the students, it was all for his own sake.

''What about the troublemakers on the team? I've heard that Nakaoka kid is especially bad.'' The second teacher remarked.

''Nakaoka? Oh you mean the one who asked them to bring the pre-Kamoshida coach back? Don't worry I've already taken care of him...'' The man looked confused. ''...There's this other boy on the team, Takeishi, doesn't really excel in much of anything. Well, I said I would make him the new captain if he could get rid of that troublemaker Nakaoka. I might've mentioned something about how he was working with Kamoshida too...subtly of course.''

''Ohh...and? What ended up happening?''

''Apparently, Takeishi chased him away, the plan worked perfectly! And the best part is, not only are his parents loaded but his mother's the president of the PTA.''

''I see, he'd make a great pawn!''

''Perhaps but a nothing like him could never captain a successful championship winning team. He may have to have an unfortunate ''accident'' at practice one day.'' Yamauchi grinned. ''But until then he can show the others the value of obedience.''

''Hehe, you're incredible!''

* * *

''That effin' asshole!'' Ryuji snapped. ''If we don't do something quick, Yamauchi's gonna get rid of Takeishi too...God dammit!''

''Should we talk to Takeishi-san?'' Namine asked.

''Sounds like a plan...What I really wanna do is change the asshole's heart but that's just gonna screw the team's comeback...I don't wanna cause 'em more problems. So they're gonna have to decide on their own. Y'know track ain't a team sport-sprintin' wasn't, at least...'' Ryuji paused. ''...you've got teammates, sure...but you're really just looking out for your own time. That's why I never though about askin' people for help or tryin' to solve our problems together. But...I can't ignore what they're going through now. I mean, even though we had our own goals n'shit...We were still runnin' together. They suffered with me, gritted their teeth with me...Honestly, I think it was only 'cause of them that I was able to run at all.'' He chuckled ruefully. ''So I can't just go and turn my back on 'em now, right?''

''...That's some real loyalty.'' She returned.

''Yeah, if only they could bother with the same.'' Morgana said disdainfully, thinking of the track team's behavior.

''Heh, thanks. I know that ain't the coolest thing to say but it's how I feel.''

''It sounds cool to me. You're a good friend, even if they can't see it.''

''For real? Thanks a bunch, Namine!''

* * *

The next day...

''We're not really getting anywhere like this, huh?'' Ann grimaced.

''Actually...'' She and Morgana looked at Namine. ''...that has to do with what I wanted to talk about. Ann, do you still have that reporter's business card?''

Morgana blinked ''I see! That could really help, nice going, Namine.''

''Well, hearing what you and a few others people said helped.'' The girl smiled. ''It's a long shot but if Ohya-san can tell help, we'll be good to go.''

* * *

After school, Namine went for another study session in the library. Exams were drawing close and she figured it was best to be prepared. She had lost most of the two years of her life after all so this seemed like a good thing to her.

''Excuse me, Namine-san?''

The girl raised an eye and looked up from her book, finding a girl she recalled was in her class ''Oh hey...Miki-san, right?''

''Right, I was just wondering, the word is you've been out and about with President Nijima. Is it true that she's trying to do something about the swindlers?''

Namine nodded ''It's pretty rough, we can't get help from the police since we don't have enough info. We're still trying to figure it out though.''

''I see...'' Miki tilted her head. ''...do you think the Phantom Thieves may be able to do something about them?''

''I don't see why not. We can just as easily post a request once we work it all out.''

''Sounds good, thanks!'' The girl left.

''Hey, Namine?'' Morgana poked his head out of the bag. ''I noticed something before...Ryuji and Lady Ann seem to be excited about our rising fame. I'm not really sure about Yusuke but you seem...apathetic about it.''

The girl exhaled ''I guess I am...don't get me wrong, I'm glad the word about us is spreading but I don't think I'll ever enjoy this fame. It reminds me way too much of what happened after I first woke up...you know I told you about that burglary. I think you can imagine how much of a big deal all people made back then.''

Morgana nodded ''Pretty easily.''

''Well, you know about the arrest. People turned their opinions just like that.'' She snapped her fingers. ''It's like I mentioned before...they just decided to wash their hands of me. So, I'm glad we're so successful but I really don't think I can ever like all this attention and fame. People were pretty fickle before, I don't see why they wouldn't be now.''

''I get it...'' In all fairness, the feline really didn't blame her at all. It made a lot of sense and he had a feeling that the whole deal was a lot harder on her than she made it sound. It was terrible of all those people to treat her like that. Even her own family...''...we'll just have to try and avoid that kind of pitfall then.''

''Let's hope we can, Mona...''

* * *

A while later, the two went to the karaoke to find their friends waiting...

''So now we have to wait for the reporter to reply?'' Yusuke wondered.

''Yup, she might be open to helping out since we got her that interview with you.'' Morgana stated.

''I just hope she does know something that can help us. We're not getting anywhere like this.''

''I know we don't have a time limit like with Kamoshida and Madarame but it still feels like a lot of pressure.'' Ryuji admitted.

''Probably because of that recording.'' Ann offered.

''So you think Nijima will use it against us if we fail?'' Yusuke inquired.

''I don't know, either way, we have to do this.''

''She wants to see our justice.'' Namine reminded, having wondered about that herself. ''We'll just have to work and prove it, we agreed not to give up what we do now, didn't we?''

''Yeah, let's not stress about the 'what-if's, we've got plenty of trouble to deal with anyway.'' Ryuji pointed out.

''Sounds good to me.'' Ann returned. ''...Actually, we're almost out of time, do you want to stay longer?''

''Hmm...I dunno, hey, you guys wanna try singing? We still have enough time to go at it a little.''

Morgana looked at the four, tilting his head ''...Can any of you actually sing?''

''Actually...'' This made Ann remember something. ''...Namine does. You used to do it before in your hometown, right?''

''...That was a long time ago.'' The girl stated, her tone made it clear that she had no intention of even trying. ''There's no point...it's just a waste of effort.''

''But, I thought...''

''Ann.'' Yusuke shot the girl a stern look, silently telling her to drop it.

''Okay, got it,'' The blonde clapped her hands. ''So let's move on. Any other ideas about how we tackle this search?''

* * *

After leaving the karaoke, Namine went about a shift in her part-time job. She got a text from Yoshida, asking to meet for help with another speech...

''That you possess free will does not mean that you can always do as you please...'' Yoshida said. ''...to make your decision based simply on loss and gain is to act like a heartless machine. The reason so few people care about their fellow man is because so few have the energy to do so. We politicians have fallen short of our goal to change society, we need your support more than ever!''

''That approach isn't going to work! You have to get the voters more excited!'' A man called. ''You're going to completely lose the minds and hearts of the people!''

''Again, what I'd like to...'' Yoshida started. ''...Councilman Matsushita!''

''It's been so long since we last spoke. I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing.''

''Oh, you have a high schooler volunteering for you? My, times sure have changed.'' Matsuhita stated. ''Do you know about the Kuramoto Children?''

''I heard a little about it in school. That doesn't really matter, right?'' Namine cocked her head.

He laughed ''At least you're honest! I was a member of the Kuramoto Children as well. Yoshida and I joined the same year. I made an amazing career change, going from a pro wrestler to a Diet member...I was elected easily but I had no idea what I was doing. I realized I wasn't elected on my own merit when I failed to be re-elected a second time. That was true for the both of us.''

''You've made a great come back though, you're truly an inspiration.'' Yoshida stated.

''As are you, old friend. You're working harder than anyone on the campaign trail.'' Matsushita said.

''Oh, there's no need for false praise to impress the young lady here.''

''It's not false praise though, at least I don't think it is. You're working really hard.'' Namine stated.

Matsushita nodded ''See? She gets it. Yoshida's well informed about the inner workings of politics so I'm sure he'll be a great teacher. However, I suggest you only do as he says and not as he does if you want to become a diet member.''

''...And what might that mean?'' Yoshida inquired.

''I'm guessing she doesn't know...?'' The man saw Namine's confused look. ''I thought so. You really think you can win the elections by being completely honest and making good arguments? You've got to secure votes! Or else you'll be forever known as No-Good Tora!''

''Without honesty and good arguments, there can be no political justice!''

''Heh, it's been a while since I've heard one of your grandiose speeches.'' Matsushita looked at Namine. ''Hyakuya-san, was it? Tell me, what about Yoshida drew you in?''

''His speaking skills.'' was her answer. ''I happened to hear about him by chance but it got me curious so I looked deeper. He's really trying to succeed and he obviously gives it his all. That means a lot as far as I'm concerned.''

''Hyakuya-san...'' Yoshida uttered, surprised.

''Well...that's quite impressive. You might just have the potential to become a Diet member. You address matters quite directly for a young person. It seems you have been taught well.'' Matsushita stated.

''I intend to teach her all I know.'' Yoshida admitted.

''I see...interesting.'' Matsushita hummed. ''By the way, how are things between you and old man Kuramoto?''

''We're still not on speaking terms.''

''There's something I'd like to get your opinion so I'll be in touch.''

''Very well.'' Yoshida returned.

''Oh, right. You may still distrust me because of what happened with the missing party funds...but I'm not the one who pointed the finger at you. That's all I'm going to say.'' He left.

''Why did he have to mention that...?''

''Yoshida-san?'' Namine wondered. What was that even...?

''It's nothing. My apologies, that'll be all for today.'' He smiled. ''Thank you for today.''

Namine made to speak but then her phone buzzed, bringing her attention to a new message. It was from Ohya, she was asking to meet in a bar called Crossroads.

* * *

She made to tell the others about it. Morgana pointed out, rightfully, that moving in groups would be troublesome so the two of them went with Ryuji.

It wasn't long before they found a very possible snag...

''What're you doing? I told you to change, your uniform's going to stand out!'' Morgana chided

''Meh, it's fine! I didn't wanna go home just to change.''

''Ugh, I know this is going to be troublesome...''

''Quit worrying so much, let's just go. It's a huge catch, I'm pumped!'' Ryuji suddenly cringed, seeing a policeman look at them. ''...Is he looking this way?''

''See, I told you!'' Morgana pointed out.

''Come on, let's go.'' Namine said.

Ryuji breathed easier once they were a fair distance away. ''I really freaked out...''

''You.'' The three turned back, finding the new voice to belong to a blonde haired young woman with violet eyes. ''The one with blond hair, I sense impending woman troubles. Please be careful.''

''What? Me?''

''...Namine, you might want to consider watching your step around him.'' Morgana warned.

''Oi, that's...!'' Ryuji started.

''What a cutie!'' He was approached by two men. ''And so muscular too! I give you an 85 out of a 100!''

''Gah, wh-who are you?!'' Ryuji gasped.

''Gwahaha! I'm the naughty troll of Shinjuku! I'm gonna eat you up!''

''H-hey, wait up...lemme go!''

Namine sweatdropped ''...Was that the bad fortune?''

''It could be.'' The woman returned.

Morgana looked annoyed ''Serves him right. Come on, let's go.''

''I can't just leave him there.'' Namine went to grab Ryuji's arm ''Come on, Ryuji, we're getting late. Your mom's gonna be worried sick.''

''O-oh, yeah!'' He looked relieved. ''Sorry, I've gotta go! I can't have her getting troubled over me. She's my only family. No way I'm letting a thing happen to her.''

''Aww, that's so sweet!'' The first man cooed.

''Well, do go on, darling. We wouldn't want that.'' His friend added. ''We'll see you again!''

* * *

''Namine, you are awesome!'' Ryuji enthused.

''Yup and don't you forget it.''

''...You're letting Arsene affect you, aren't you?'' He imagined it was something her persona would say.

''Maybe a little. I wanted to see your reaction.''

He snickered ''Heh, fair enough. Seriously, you got some bragging rights for that act.''

''I swear, chivalry is dead.'' Morgana drawled.

''H-hey!''

''Mona, just leave it alone.'' Namine chided.

''Fine, but you're too nice to him.'' The cat returned. ''Anyway, we have to go to remember?''

''Yeah...hey, I think I see the place!'' Ryuji pointed to their left.

* * *

''This is it?'' Morgana blinked. ''I feel more danger here than in a Palace.''

'When he put it like that, Namine could certainly understand. Still...''Well...we're here, we might as well go.''

''Quit worrying so much, it'll be fine.'' Ryuji opened the door.

''Welcome!'' The woman at the counter raised an eye. ''How old are you two?''

''Ah...''

''Sorry, Lala-chan!'' Ohya went up to a seat. ''They're with me.''

''Honestly...'' The woman sighed. ''...just don't let minors get drunk, all right?''

''We'll just go talk in the back. I'll treat you kids to some water!'' Ohya smiled.

* * *

''So this is about a group of criminals in Shibuya?''

''Yeah, we're trying to do something about the mess they're causing in school. A whole lot of students got dragged into this.'' Namine stated.

''That's why we need info to move forward and try to do somethin' about it.'' Ryuji added.

Ohya hummed thoughtfully ''Well, I don't mind telling you...you kids did help me get that interview after all. It's Kaneshiro Junya, that's likely the boss you're trying to look into. I don't know much more to be honest but I heard he's pretty dangerous. Does that work for your plan?'' She went on after the two responded positively.

''Good. I was actually hoping to talk about something, you kids are Shujin students, right? Then you must know about the Phantom Thieves. I've been tasked to write about them.'' She admitted. ''So I was wondering, do you know any of the students who suffered Kamoshida's abuse? I want to interview one. I could easily help you some more when need be but I want you to do this for me.''

''Hey, what about Mishima?'' Morgana suggested.

Ryuji nodded ''...We might know someone but how about we get back to you once we talk to them?''

''Works for me! Lala-chan, get some juice for those kids.''

* * *

 _And break!_

 _Well, I hope this was good. I wound up adding more than I thought I would at first but this seems like a good place to end this chapter. It's plenty long as it were. Next time, we're hitting up the third Palace._

 _Honestly, the development with Makoto just came to me as I worked on this arc's plot. I considered another route but this one seems like the best way to go. It'll all add up once I get to explaining things from her view point. It shouldn't be too far off now._

 _Thanks to everyone who's read, reviewed and favorited my work. I honestly just started for fun and a little change of pace so seeing how it's all coming together is awesome. It all makes for great motivation too._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 6)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 5)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 5)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 4)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 3)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 3)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 4)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 2)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 1)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 1)_


	19. Chapter 19

The Phantom Thieves met up in Shibuya the next day, now ready to go since they finally had a name to their target.

''I _really_ don't like coming here...'' Ryuji stated, thinking of the two men they had encountered. ''...that could have been really, really bad...''

''What're you talking about?'' Ann wondered.

''Nothing, nothing...'' He waved a dismissing hand. ''...so what about the Palace?''

Yusuke was working with the Nav ''Well, we do have the name but there's still the distortion and the location.''

''How about a money bath?'' Ann offered.

Morgana blinked ''Money bath?''

''Yeah, I heard it's this new fad that some celebrities do...''

''...It's no good.'' Yusuke informed.

''Then how about a bank?'' Morgana suggested.

This one was a success. Yusuke continued to type on ''...I've tried a couple of places but none were right. That being said, we never did get enough information to learn a set place.''

''That's true...'' Morgana agreed and they all started to think.

''Well...'' Namine broke the ensuing silence. ''...from the looks of things, his gang's spread all over Shibuya. Why don't you try that?''

Yusuke proceeded to do so, starting when the Nav activated a moment later...

* * *

Skull blinked ''It worked? So his Palace really is all over Shibuya...How'd you know, Joker?''

''Lucky guess.'' was the response.

The alternate Shibuya wasn't so different in appearance from the real one. But anyone could immediately tell something was up from the atmosphere, it was oddly eerie and unnerving.

''So...where is the Palace?''

''Hey, look at that!'' Panther pointed to their left, where an ATM was walking down the street.

''That's not the only one.'' Fox added, stepping aside so they could have a closer look. And indeed there were quite a few more ATMs out and about.

''Most of them look kinda beat up too...'' Skull remarked, noting the damage on the machines. ''...let's go take a closer look!''

The group of five approached one ATM, hearing it cry out ''No, no more! Please I don't have any more money!''

''What? Hey, hold on! We're not...'' Joker frowned as it walked away.

A second ATM nearby fell, while a third spoke ''No, I have to get more...I don't want to wind up like that guy!''

''Mona, do you know what this means?'' Fox inquired.

The feline thief was scowling''Yeah...this is how Kaneshiro views the people. Those ATMs represent his victims...and if they can't pay, well...'' he gestured at the fallen ATM.

''He just gets rid of them.'' Panther finished, frowning. ''We've got to do something about this...''

''Easier than done though. There's no sign of the Palace.'' Mona reminded them of the current problem.

''Yeah, how big is this place anyway? We landed right near the other Palaces.'' Skull recalled.

''Now that you mention it...'' Panther trailed off.

'About that...' Goemon started. '...this one seems complicated.'

'That might be an understatement. All of you, look up.' Arsene added.

Fox and Joker were left confused by their Personas' words, but they did as Arsene said and suddenly, things made sense.

''What the...?''

They had, in fact, landed near the Palace. The complication was that it was floating far above them.

''Mona, can you change into a helicopter or something?'' Panther inquired.

''No...just a car.'' He admitted, slumping.

''Oh, come on, you've gotta have some kind of secret weapon.'' Skull crossed his arms.

''What do you think I am, some weapon that looks like a cat?!'' Mona retorted.

''Then what do we do?''

''...It seems that this is as far as we can go.'' Fox remarked.

Joker nodded ''Let's go back for now. We need to think on this, there has to be a way we can reach it.''

* * *

It was as they were on their way to Leblanc that Namine came across a little girl who seemed to be on the verge of tears...

''Hey, are you okay?''

The little girl looked up weakly to find Namine staring at her ''N-no...I don't know where my daddy is...''

''Oh, um it's okay, I can help you look.''

''R-really?'' She started coughing harshly, leaving the older girl alarmed.

''Okay, sit here. Tell me what your dad looks like.''

''Right...''

* * *

''Thanks, we lost track of each other in that crowd.'' The man admitted.

''Oh, don't worry, I just couldn't leave her there.'' Namine stated.

''That's kind of you. I hate to bother you again but would you by any chance know where Takemi-sensei's clinic is?''

* * *

''And you just decided to bring them to me?'' Takemi raised an eye.

''Well they were asking about you.'' Namine admitted, glancing at the man and daughter.

''Yes. I was afraid your clinic wouldn't be opened.'' The man explained. ''This young lady tried to help my daughter. Please I need to have her examined.''

''...So a patient with an emergency, come on.''

* * *

''So why come here? Aren't you under the care of another hospital?'' Takemi wondered.

''I've heard rumors about this place. I'd like for you to examine her.'' The father explained. ''She was diagnosed with bronchitis, but the medicine she was given hasn't been working at all. She has a fever that won't go away, and she's losing weight because she's not hungry...''

''A young girl losing weight is definitely not good...You should go to a proper hospital. I can't provide a thorough examination here.'' Takemi stated.

''But Takemi-sensei, they already went, didn't they? Can't you please try?'' Namine requested.

''She's right, we've been going a university hospital in East Shinjuku! But all they tell us is that it's persistent bronchitis!''

''...A university hospital in East Shinjuku?'' Takemi clarified.

''The doctor there performs exams like he's on an assembly line. I think he's famous or something...''

''A famous doctor, huh...? I'm just a general practitioner out here in the sticks. As you can see, I don't even have any staff.'' The doctor pointed out.

''W-wait! I've heard that there's a medicine that can only be acquired here...! Please! I'll pay you! Please just examine her!''

''H-hold on...''

The girl started to cough ''Doctor...my chest...really hurts...''

''Can't you do something?'' Namine inquired. ''Nothing's worse than not really trying, right? She really needs some help. You could at least give them a second opinion.''

Takemi sighed ''...Fine.''

* * *

''If your vision blurry? How about your throat, does it hurt...? Hm. No signs of swelling. Are you sure you've told me everything about her symptoms and treatments you've so far?''

''Yes, I'm sure!''

''Hmm...'' Takemi dialed a number. ''...Hello, Uehara-san? Is Schweitzer-sensei there? There's something I'd like to ask him about a case that was in last month's medical journal.'' She nodded a few times before hanging up. ''I see. Guess the ones in stock will have to do...'' The doctor looked at Namine. ''There's a shelf by the reception desk. Bring the contents of the second drawer into the exam room.''

The girl was a bit surprised but considering the situation, she decided to go with it. ''Right.''

* * *

''T-thank you so much! I didn't expect her to recover so quickly!''

''It was a very unique strain of an infectious disease. It can't be detected by conventional means.'' Takemi offered. ''I temporarily suppressed the symptoms. We'll make adjustments as her condition improves. Okay, that'll be a million yen for today.'' She said, surprising them.

''A million?! Th-that's outrageous! You're completely taking advantage of...I mean...all right, I agreed to pay. You don't...take credit cards...do you?'' He paused. ''I'll go withdraw some cash right now!''

''Huh? Wait, you're actually going to pay?'' Takemi asked. When the man nodded she continued. ''By the way, that famous doctor you mentioned earlier...was it Medical Chief of Staff, Oyamada?''

'Isn't that...' Namine remembered the man from the other day.

''Yes...are you familiar with him?''

''...I knew it.'' Takemi muttered. ''In that case, I'll make this free of charge.''

''F-free?!''

''...You sure seem happy.'' Namine remarked.

''Well, healing his patient without permission feels good.'' She admitted.

''By the way...is she your assistant? She seems awfully young.'' The man remarked.

''No, she's another patient. Her case is much more different. Though...now that you mention it, I might just have her working as an assistant sometime.''

The girl spoke before Namine could respond ''Um, Doctor...Can I go to school now?''

''Not for a while. You need to start eating and regain your strength first. Can you do that for me?''

''Yes, thank you Doctor!''

''Don't mention it...''

''Thank you for the help too, Onee-chan.'' The girl added.

''Ah, glad to see you're doing better.'' Namine patted her head, missing Takemi watching her with a small smile.

* * *

A while later, Namine and Morgana were back in the attic...

Morgana sighed, letting his head fall on the bed's pillow ''After all the trouble, we can't even reach the Palace.''

''Well...'' Namine blinked as her phone buzzed, finding a couple of texts from Ohya.

Apparently, their questions had roused her curiosity and she began to look for more info about Kaneshiro. It all lead her to understand how dangerous the man was, which was why she wanted to warn Namine not to get involved.

''So the police can't get a hold of him, huh? He really does sound like a mafia boss...'' Morgana trailed off. ''...no wonder nothing's been done about him for this long.''

Namine had a thought ''Then if the Palace is part of Kaneshiro's cognition, is it floating because of his ego?''

''Bingo, he's gotten away with so much that he doesn't think anyone can touch him.'' The cat affirmed. ''The thing is, that leaves back at square one.''

''Yeah...'' Namine let out a breath ''...anyway, for now, we should get some rest. We'll try to think more on this tomorrow.''

''Sounds good.''

* * *

As they agreed, the team got together after school. The problem was, they were no closer to figuring things out now than they were yesterday. It didn't seem like there was anyway around this...

''We ain't got nothin...'' Ryuji sighed.

''Are we out of luck?'' Ann wondered.

''It's no fair his Palace is up in the sky...'' Morgana frowned.

''If only we could contact the real Kaneshiro...'' Yusuke mused.

''But that's even more dangerous, right? How...'' Ann stopped, her eyes narrowing. This made the others follow her line of sight to see Makoto walking over. ''What do you want?''

''Nothing in particular, I just saw you all here together.''

''That so?'' Ryuji seemed unimpressed.

''You seem to be having quite a bit of trouble. Didn't your idea work, Hyakuya-san?'' Makoto asked.

''It did but that lead us to another problem...''

''Hold on, Namine.'' Ann cut in. ''So you're here to check up on us? You may be the student council president but when it comes to what we do, you're useless.''

Makoto's eyes widened ''Useless...?''

She remembered her talk with her sister yesterday...

 _'Right now, you're useless to me.'_

''To be frank, yes.'' Yusuke agreed.

''Guys, come on, that's not fair...'' Namine started.

''I get that it's in your nature to be kind but she doesn't deserve it.'' Ann stated. ''Just stay on your high horse and watch. Or do you wanna eavesdrop, since you're so good at it?''

''...So you wish to get in contact with Kaneshiro. That is what you were just discussing, isn't it? It seems you just needed to find out where is.''

''And if we do?'' Ann retorted.

''You don't have to answer her!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

Again, Makoto thought back to another recent conversation. This time with Akechi...

 _'So you're just the good girl type of pushover.'_

Makoto's eyes narrowed ''Fine, I'll help you meet Kaneshiro.'' She left.

''...What exactly is she planning?'' Yusuke wondered.

''She had a dead serious look in her eye.'' Ryuji remarked.

''Does this mean she has an idea as to where Kaneshiro may be?'' Namine wondered.

''I highly doubt that.'' Ann returned.

''I didn't like her stern face...'' Morgana mused. ''...we better go after her.''

* * *

Morgana looked around the square ''There are way too many people here!''

''We're never gonna find her!'' Ryuji frowned.

Moments later, Namine's phone buzzed and she answered.

''Hello? It's me...Nijima Makoto. Just stay on the phone and listen. Make sure you record the call as well.''

''Who is it?'' Ann inquired.

Namine put the phone on the speaker, letting them hear the following.

'Do you guys know Kaneshiro?'

'What?!' A gruff voice asked.

''Oh, no...'' Namine muttered.

''That idiot, what is she doin'...?'' Ryuji cringed.

'I heard I could find someone named Kaneshiro if I came to Central Street.'

''She's being too rash!'' Yusuke exclaimed.

''Let's go, they're at Central Street!'' Namine stated.

* * *

''What're you getting at?''

''He's blackmailing the students of Shujin Academy, is he not?'' Makoto demanded. ''Tell him if he doesn't want me to talk to the police, he'd better agree to meet with me.''

''...You got a death wish or somethin'?''

''He says he'll meetcha, get in.''

''You better be taking me to Kaneshiro.'' Makoto glared.

''He said get the fuck in!''

''Namine, is she still on?'' asked Ann.

Nodding, the girl raised her phone, just as someone spoke...

'Contact Kaneshiro-san, tell him we've got a good one.'''

'Where are we going?' asked Makoto.

'I guess we can't do a thing to if she Kaneshiro-san's customer.''

''Hey, I asked a question here! Where are we going on?'' Makoto demanded.

''We gotta go after them!'' Ann exclaimed.

''Okay, I've got the license plate. My sketching skills have come in handy.'' Yusuke stated.

Ann hailed a taxi ''All right, let's get in!''

* * *

''So...you're seriously the student council president of Shujin. You know what happens to anyone who snaps at me, don't you?'' Kaneshiro smirked at Makoto, who was being held down by one of his men. ''So whose number is this? Your boyfriend?''

''What in the world...?!'' Ann's eyes widened.

''Who the fuck are you?!'' A goon demanded.

''Senpai!'' Namine exclaimed.

''What the hell'd you do to her?!'' Ryuji snapped.

''Ohh, I get it. You got followed, you dumb shits!'' Kaneshiro scowled. He opened his briefcase and looked at the woman next to him. ''That bag you say the other day, the crocodile one, how much was it?''

''About three million?'' She squealed as he handed her money. ''For reals?!''

''Better thank those guys.''

''What?'' Ryuji frowned.

''I'm really pissed off right now. Can you tell? You know how spending money relieves stress? It's you goddamn brats sniffing around like dogs and barge in in here like you own the joint...!'' Kaneshiro smirked. ''See this empty space? I'm so missed that there's now a three million yen gap here. It pisses me off even more if I don't fill it up. I'm a perfectionist. So, good luck.''

''What is that supposed to mean?'' Yusuke demanded. Kaneshiro responded by taking a picture of them.

''Come on, you all so tense. I think I'll call it...Debauchery aof Minors at a Club. So can I sent this to your school?

Makoto gasped. ''That's...''

''Oh damn, I got booze and cigs in the shot! Maybe some drugs too? Ahh, this is so hilarious. I feed on dumb shits like you. Understand, pretty little student council president? Now listen up, run your mouth to the police and I'll break all of you, starting with your families. I want to give you the usual month, but well you have such a large group here...Three weeks, bring me three million yen by then, no less. Summer bonuses are around the corner, you know? It'd be easy if you beg your mommies and daddies.''

''You little greedy...'' Ann hissed.

''Get out of my sight. I'm about to have some fun.''

''What? We won't just...''

''We can't do this now, we have to help Nijima-senpai.'' Namine cut in.

* * *

The group stopped once they were a safe distance away from the hideout. Makoto turned to face the others ''I'm so sorry. This is all my fault, I was a fool.''

''Sorry, but I have to agree. You had to know this was a terrible idea.'' Yusuke added.

''Come on, it's fine. What's done is done.'' Ryuji told him.

''I thought I could be useful...'' Makoto started. ''...but in the end, I'm just going to cause more problems for my sister.''

''Your sister?'' Ann echoed. Where did that come from?

''She has a great job and she's been taking care of me for years...I'm just a kid, so there's nothing I can do but be a burden on her.''

''So that's why you rushed off like that...'' The blonde mused.

''That's a little too much, Senpai. I doubt she thinks of you that way.'' Namine remarked.

Makoto shook her head ''It's just the truth...Besides, I've done terrible things by you guys too.'' This left them confused but she soon explained. ''I did suspect something was wrong about Kamoshida. But I realized in my heart that there was nothing I could do. There's also you, Hyakuya-san...When you offered to help me, I couldn't help but feel suspicious...that's why I wanted to learn more about you. At first, I thought it was a trick. You were the only one who tried to see the truth, to do something about it...the only one who gave me the time of day and yet look what I do. I really am trash...''

''...People who are trash wouldn't call themselves that.'' Ann stated.

Namine nodded ''It's okay, I don't hold any of that against you. You were just trying to do what you could.''

''I understand how you feel...I remember being like that. Feeling powerless to help Shiho when Kamoshida was in the school...'' Ann admitted. ''...in a way, we were like you. We just convinced ourselves that there was nothing we could do.''

''Takamaki-san...'' Makoto trailed off. ''...I'll find some way to gather the money, you don't have to play along to Kaneshiro's wishes.''

''That's not possible. We're all targeted now.'' Yusuke pointed out.

''Yeah, if only that damn bank wasn't so far away...'' Ryuji muttered.

Those statements got Morgana thinking ''Guys! I think Makoto might have actually helped us. Let's take her to the Metaverse.''

''What?'' Ann was taken back.

''We're targeted now, so we should be able to reach the bank! We're customers now.''

''I see...so that's why it was out of reach?'' Yusuke tilted his head.

Makoto was confused ''What's going on?''

''What're you guys talking about?'' asked Ryuji.

''She went this far, let's show her the truth.'' Morgana told Namine.

The girl nodded back and looked at Makoto ''Come on, Nijima-senpai, you wanted to learn about us. We can show you just how the Phantom Thieves operate. What do you say?''

''...All right, I'm with you. Let's go.''

* * *

They went to an alley and accessed the Metaverse, leaving Makoto shocked as she took in the sight of the alternate Shibuya...

''What is all this?!'' She turned to the others, her eyes widening as she saw how they changed. ''A fox?''

''I am Fox.'' He returned.

''Good, so you made it.'' Mona walked over, leaving her stunned.

''A monster cat?!''

Mona froze at this but Panther helpfully explained ''That's Morgana, the cat who was in Namine's bag. This just happens when we come here, right?''

''Lady Ann!'' Mona beamed, shedding tears. He felt a hand patting his head and turned to smile at Joker.

''That voice...Takamaki-san?'' Makoto blinked. ''...Where are we?''

''It's a world of cognition.'' Joker explained. ''This is an alternate reality, here desires become real. Things like what we're seeing here happen when they run out of control.''

This made the older girl remember something ''Wait, so that calling card...that's what you meant by stealing desires? You changed Kamoshida's cognition so he'd apologize?''

''Right, in a sense, this is a realm where we can see what's inside people's hearts.''

''I see...that would explain the money.'' She glanced up, seeing the floating bills going to the bank. ''A world of cognition...so then if you take care of those desires, you can impact them directly. We see how Kaneshiro perceives things...So that's how your other targets changed so much and even turned themselves in. It's like removing a tumor from a sick person.''

''Whoa, you do get it...'' Panther trailed off.

''Isn't she more awesome than you?'' Skull asked Mona.

''W-we're about the same level!''

''Then...one of those ATMs represents me?'' Makoto wondered.

''Most likely.'' Fox replied. ''If we succeed, we'll be able to change Kaneshiro's heart and even have him turn himself in.''

''We can do it.'' Skull stated.

''Yeah, once we do, we'll be able to encourage more people in need.'' Panther added.

''Encourage people...?'' Makoto closed her eyes for a moment. ''That's like what my father used to say.''

''Your old man?'' Skull gave her a curious look.

''Oh, it's nothing. You want to go that bank, right? Let's be on our way.''

* * *

As it turned out, Mona was right and they were easily able to access the bank without much trouble. It looked like the guards we're going to attack but once they heard Makoto was Kaneshiro's guest, they soon let them go right in. They were insistent on only allowing the team to the reception room, which was their current destination...

''Don't let your guard down. We could run into enemies easily.'' Mona warned Makoto.

''I see...it's all right though, I know quite a bit of aikido so I can defend myself.''

''Well, you can't stand up to shadows with just martial arts but I guess it's better than nothing...''

The reception room had a few guards about along with Kaneshiro's shadow, who had clearly been waiting for them.

''I can't imagine you've come to make a payment already...'' He smirked.

''We're not paying you a thing, bastard! We're going to take you down!'' Skull called.

''Oh? What can a few brats and a cat even do?'' He seemed unfazed. ''I'll let that slide, it doesn't matter in the long run. Running a bank is hard, you know. I'm only collecting my dues.''

''Yeah, right!'' Mona scoffed.

''I suggest you start collecting that three million soon.'' Shadow Kaneshiro told Makoto. ''It shouldn't be too hard. Just give out to some people if you know what I mean...those beauties in black and red can help you.''

''That's not going to happen.'' Joker stated.

''Yeah, you disgusting pig!'' Panther snapped.

''Are you sure? I know about her older sister after all.'' He stated, to their surprise. ''Don't underestimate my information network. She's such a cutie...and an impressive career. She really could have made it far if she didn't have such an idiot for a little sister. I'll sell her once I get tired of her.''

''Stop it! My sister has nothing to do with!'' Makoto cried.

''Oh, she has everything to do with this. Do we have a deal? Then go on, get to work.'' Shadow Kaneshiro said dismissively. ''You'll earn three million quickly, of course your lives and everything along with it will be ruined!'' He laughed at the thought.

The girl grit her teeth ''Why you...''

''This is all your fault for getting involved. You should just endure it and do as you're told.''

That was enough to push Makoto over the limit ''Shut up...Shut your damn mouth, you money grubbing asshole!''

Everyone stared at her in surprise but she was only glaring at the shadow, then hearing a voice speak...

'Have you decided to treat the path of strife...?'

''Yes, come to me.'' Makoto replied.

'Very well. Let us proceed with our contract at once'

She was assaulted by a terrible pain in her head as her eyes glowed golden. She started struggling, falling to her knees as the voice continued.

'I am thou, thou art I...You have finally found your own justice...Please, never lose sight of it again' Makoto stood, a dark grey mask forming on her face 'This memorable day marks your graduation from your false self...' She ripped her mask off, creating a well of power.

''What the hell?!'' Shadow Kaneshiro exclaimed.

Joker perked up ''She has one...''

In a flash of light, Makoto was riding on glowing motorcycle...

''A Persona...?'' Fox uttered.

''No, dude...that's a bike...'' Skull's jaw dropped.

''I can feel it. Myself...Me!'' Makoto looked forward. ''Gun it!'' She charged forward, sending all the shadows flying back with a spin of her Persona.

''Wow, nice!'' Panther exclaimed.

''Wh-what is this?!'' Mona wondered. ''I've never seen anything like it!''

Shadow Kaneshiro tried to shake his fear off, turning to leave before calling out ''You better earn your keep, or else I'll kill you!''

''I will not lose heart again, ever.'' Makoto vowed. ''Let's go full speed, non stop, Johanna!''

The shadows surrounded the group of five as their boss escaped. Makoto was unfazed ''Don't get all cocky just because I normally behave myself, I am DONE playing nice! Johanna, full throttle!''

She stuck two of the Oni guards up front with a Mafrei, leaving them reeling. Picking up on the weakness, Joker summoned Arsene and had him follow with his own nuclear spell.

The Sui-ki shadow floated up and cast Mabufu on Mona while two of the Oni proceeded to use Rampage and the last one made to hit Fox with its club.

Mona barely defended against the spell in time and tried to counter but the Sui-ki floated out of reach. The Oni used Rampage again, and it was beginning to cause quite enough damage to go around with.

Joker switched to High Pixie and had it cast Media, Mona soon followed along with Zorro. With new energy, Fox dodged the Oni's club and shot it down while Skull nailed it with a Mazio and Panther finished it off with a few strikes of her whip.

''Magaru!'' Mona cast, Zorro whipped up his sword and the strong winds pushing the Sui-ki and third Oni back.

Panther went next ''Carmen, Maragi!''

The burst of flames destroyed the Sui-ki while Fox had Goemon nail the remaining enemies with a Vicious Strike, Makoto moved up then.

''Mafrei!''

The spell destroyed one of the Oni while leaving the second to fall. But the girl was far from finished, she easily revved up her Persona and slammed it hard to finish it off. Seeing more shadows on the way, she had Johanna summon up bright energy that exploded a second later, leaving them blinded. Another round of attacks finished them off.

''Come on, we can't stay here. We already nailed our objective. Besides, he'll just get more shadows soon.'' Mona warned.

It was clear that he was right. They could already see more enemies coming to the reception room from the windows.

''Okay, but how do we get out?'' Panther asked.

Makoto had the answer ''There's only one exit, right?''

'''Sup, Miss Post-Apocalyptic Raider.'' Skull added.

The girl glared ''Do you want to get smacked?'' Ignoring his recoil, she looked at the others. ''I'm going on ahead, follow me!''

She revved up Johanna and charged with great speed, forcing the nearby enemies back.

Mona transformed ''Come on, here's our way out!''

* * *

The group of five stopped again at the station, letting Makoto stop to rest up for a bit...

''Man, talk about wild! That was no aikido-that was some hardcore ass whoopin'!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

''I am SO not pissing her off...it feels like she'll rip off my arm.'' Ann stated.

''She does exude that aura.'' Yusuke agreed.

Namine wasn't sure what to say, she was just relieved that things had turned out okay. ''...Ignoring that for now, are you okay, Senpai?''

''No...this is the most exhausted I've ever gotten these past few years...''

''Yeah, awakening a persona tends to do that. Don't you feel better though?''

''Actually...a lot better, it felt pretty great.'' Makoto smiled. ''I know I asked you for help but I never imagined I'd become part of the Phantom Thieves. Sis might faint if she found out.''

''You mentioned her earlier.'' Yusuke recalled.

''She's a prosecutor for the district and she's investigating the Phantom Thieves.''

''Wait, ain't that bad?!'' Ryuji recoiled.

''No need to worry, a normal investigation would never lead them to a world like that. Then again, it must'e been fate for this to happen...''

''What do you mean?'' Ann wondered.

''I can't be like my sister. I had a feeling that there'd come a time when we wouldn't see eye to eye anymore. I'm thankful to have a sister who works so hard...but there are times I feel sorry for her too. And after hearing my Persona's voice, I clearly understand how I feel now.''

''It appears you're not as reserved as you make yourself seem.'' Yusuke observed.

''I was just doing whatever the adults told me to.''

''Won't she be perfect as our advisor? She's fearless and has a sharp mind.''

''Good idea.'' Namine concurred.

''Sounds good to me! We've needed someone like that for a while now!'' Ryuji agreed.

''I'd be honored if I can help out.'' Makoto returned. Her phone rang, signalling a message. ''...It's from Kaneshiro. He's reminding us of our debt. So the Kaneshiro over here doesn't know what happened in the Palace.''

''That's right.'' Morgana affirmed. ''But his Palace will be affected if the real Kaneshiro's cognition changes. We can't be lax.''

''It seems it'd be best to avoid unnecessary conflict with him until then.''

''Three weeks, huh...?'' Ryuji frowned.

''There's that security system too...''

''Let's try not to worry about that now, we'll just have to do what we can.'' Namine stated.

''Yeah, if we pull this off, it'll definitely be great!'' Ann smiled.

''We'll crush him like a fly. I'll make him regret making me angry...'' Makoto vowed, Ryuji took a step back from the look on her face while Morgana looked unnerved.

''Anyways, let's begin our operation once we're fully ready.'' Namine said at last.

* * *

Morgana jumped on the bed as Namine finished getting ready to go to sleep ''That was some turn of events...''

''No kidding.'' The girl smiled back. ''We were just out to show Senpai the truth and it turns out she's a lot like us.''

''You said it...sounds like she wanted a place to belong too...A motorcycle shape persona, huh?'' Morgana mused with a smile. ''You know I can turn into a vehicle too, so it's like...I feel a sense of familiarity.''

''Yeah? Well, motorcycles are cool but the bigger cars have special charm in their own way.''

''Oho, you do understand! One shouldn't underestimate the power of four-wheel drive! Well, motorcycles are nice too but it can't carry large numbers of people. I really am special after all, huh?'' Morgana smiled.

''I think that goes without saying.''

''Heh, well nice to know someone understands.''

''You were just looking for someone to say it.'' She retorted.

The cat's expression changed. ''Carry...? No...take somewhere?''

''? Morgana?'' Namine blinked. What was that about?

''Something just crossed my mind...'' He admitted. ''...It's no use, I can't remember at all. Eh, there's nothing I can do about it if I can't remember. I need to concentrate on Kaneshiro for now. Unlike you guys, Makoto's clever, so we can expect great things from her.''

''Oh, thanks.'' The girl deadpanned.

''You know what I mean.'' He said airily, waving a paw in dismissal. ''Seriously Namine, you have something special.''

''You think?''

''Yup! I better step up my game too!'' Morgana declared. ''I know! After we deal with Kaneshiro, I should consult her about Mementos too. I'm sure Makoto's brain can help.''

''Well, that sounds good. Let's take it one step at a time.''

''Only way to go!'' As Morgana lay down, he began to think. 'We got Yusuke, and now Makoto...Namine sure has quite the luck...Could there be some reason for it?...It can't be, right?'

* * *

The next day...

''So what did you want to talk about?''

Ann turned to face Makoto ''Well...I think this should've happened already...I wanted to apologize. I'm really sorry for everything.''

Makoto was surprised ''What do you mean?''

''You know how I blamed you for Kamoshida's sexual harassment?'' The blonde went on. ''Well, I wanted to apologize for that...I've honestly been meaning to this whole time. I'm sorry for giving you such a hard time.''

''Takamaki-san...''

''I realized later that Shiho was calling out for me...and I wasn't there to help her...'' Ann stated, thinking back to her latest talk with her best friend. Shiho had actually been thinking along similar lines to Namine, which made the blonde wonder. ''...I'm so thankful for Namine...Namine and Shiho were the ones who helped me get my feelings in order too...I didn't want to admit my own guilt...so I took it out on you, Nijima-senpai. I'm...very sorry.'' She bowed.

''...Hey, there is no need for that.'' Makoto stated. ''In fact, I think the two of us are pretty similar.''

''Huh?''

''I was unable to save anyone, not Suzui-san and not any of Kaneshiro's victims.'' The girl sighed. ''I kept telling myself I wasn't at fault simply because I was following orders...But that was all a lie. It felt like I would be admitting my own worthlessness had I not shifted the blame off of myself. Fear of, that worthlessness was probably why I acted harshly towards you and your friends. You were right about what you said with my treatment about Hyakuya-san too. I was just so surprised, she's so gentle. She was the only one who would really listen to me. It meant a lot, I think it's why I wanted to know the truth about the Phantom Thieves. Knowing her made me want me to believe in them more. I won't make any excuses though...I'm deeply sorry as well.''

''I see...'' Ann perked up. ''...in that case, wanna call it even?''

''Even?'' Makoto chuckled. ''You're right...how about we leave this conversation in the past?''

''Mmhm!'' Ann sat down. ''Oh but...one more thing, you're not worthless, Nijima-senpai.'' The girl was thrown off. ''You were a bit reckless, but you're the reason we found a way into Kaneshiro's Palace. And you even obtained the power to change people's hearts. You did that all by yourself, Nijima-senpai.''

She chuckled ''That way of thinking is very much like you, Takamaki-san...When you confronted me about Suzui-san and even Hyakuya-san, I realized how small and dishonest I was. You're always very direct...that's what helped me finally realize the error of my ways. It turns out that I'm a little slow on the uptake at times...Hey, can I call you Ann?''

''Um, yeah! I...I'm going to do the same, M-Makoto...Rgh, that's so embarrassing!''

She chuckled ''How about we get something to eat before we go home for the night?''

''Ooh, I know a place! Let's get Namine and go. There's a crepe shop at Central Street that totally stuffs their crepes!''

''Do you want to split one?''

''Mmm, let's each get a whole one and then we can go half and half on those!''

Makoto smiled ''Well, shall we?''

* * *

 _Well, let's cut off here._

 _I hope it was good. Okay, little confession, Makoto's awesome, she's one of my favorite characters but I don't really like the Kaneshiro arc much. Maybe that's why trying to work with it feels kind of lackluster...oh, well I'll make the best of it._

 _Well, I'll get back to sorting my plot out after this. I've more or less got plenty of the next arc worked out. It's just my plans are kinda messy._ _Actually, there's a surprise I have in store after Kaneshiro's change of heart. It has to do with my original twists to the story. It relates to working the second Personas in the story too. I'm excited to reach that part._

 _Anywho, I hope you enjoyed this._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 6)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 6)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 5)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 5)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 3)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 3)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 4)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 2)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 1)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 1)_


	20. Chapter 20

_Kagaminelover657: Wow, thanks a bunch! Yeah, I was just lucky to have time to work on this story. I've seen the kind of fics you mentioned. I did try to test some of my ideas before getting started, like writing one shots and stuff so that might've helped. I don't like sticking to canon all the time and like you said, it's fun to mix things up._

* * *

After a stop for crepes per their earlier agreement, the girls went to meet the rest of the team at their hideout. It was then that they decided to tell Makoto about the basics of the Metaverse.

''It's all so strange...'' The brunette mused. ''...to think I was actually trying to look into all this. I never would've found the truth out at the rate I was going...the method of transportation still eludes me...I mean, it's a smartphone navigation app...''

''Yeah, it's about one of the least strangest things we've dealt with actually.'' Namine chipped in. ''Anyway, you just need a name, a location and a distorion. After the first entry, the nav marks the Palace.''

''You really just make it sound like an ordinary app...Aren't there dangers associated with it?''

''Don't worry 'bout that! We've already been a bunch of times-'' Ryuji started.

''That's not what I mean. It's a navigation app, right? Couldn't someone easily access our history on the server?'' Everyone except Namine and Morgana were stumped. ''Wait, why are you three looking at me like that? Has nobody thought of that before?!''

''I...'' Yusuke faltered.

''Now she's catchin' me off guard too...'' Ryuji frowned.

''I don't think it would work.'' Namine offered, remembering an incident one day during a train ride. ''It's something we picked up on by chance the other day. It looks like people can't usually see the Nav. I already tried, the person I asked said there was nothing there.''

''I see, well that's a relief. Still, we don't know where it came from, right? It showed up on my phone without any input from me...'' Makoto mused. ''...do you know more about it, Namine?''

''I do...but it's kind of complicated.'' She began to explain about the Velvet Room. ''I think it's in a secluded area in the Metaverse. For some reason, I'm the only he lets in there but he's the one who sent the app out to me.''

''And those are the people who have been helping with your Personas, correct? Interesting...'' Yusuke trailed off. They had yet to see any evidence of the place but he saw no reason not to believe her.

''Well, anyway, we don't have to worry about people accessing our data.'' Morgana stated. ''From what I can tell, this app is incredibly special. It wasn't made by ordinary means.''

''True...an app that allows you to enter another world isn't exactly common place...'' Makoto agreed. ''Well, Sis doesn't know who the Phantom Thieves are so I suppose our information is safe for now.''

''We're still learning things ourselves. I hope your sharp wit can help us with that.'' Morgana offered.

''Thank you, I'll do my best.'' She smiled.

''So what 's out time limit this time?'' Yusuke asked.

''Kaneshiro's henchman said the deadline is in July ninth.'' Makoto replied.

''There's really no way high schoolers could bring in three million yen...'' Ann frowned.

''And that's why he's threatening us. If we can't pay he'll do much worse than just blackmail.'' The girl stated. ''But for now we need to stop him from releasing those photos. If the public gets a hold of them...''

''Yeah, I don't want to think of how terrible it'll be...'' Namine grimaced.

''C'mon, we just gotta take care of him before the time limit. We'll bounce back from this.'' Ryuji said firmly. ''Plus people'll really start admirin' us if we can manage to take this bastard down!''

''Yeah, this is the perfect opportunity. We have to succeed no matter what!'' Morgana stated.

* * *

Since half the team was busy today, they agreed to wait and go once everything was set. After receiving a text from Mishima, Namine headed to meet him at the diner...

''So, how go the activities? Actually, I already know, the Phan-Site has been crazy busy thanks to you guys. This book here is all about the latest security techniques and this is, um, a model gun. It cost me a lot of money...'' Mishima trailed off.

Namine raised an eye ''Why did you get those?''

''Well I had to try...I heard that their production was halted because people mistook those for real guns...'' He paused. ''...Sorry, that's not what you were asking. It was suggested to me by this military buff from the Phandom. I figured I could use a bit of security, since I'm sole admit of the whole Phandom. I mean you guys are getting really popular. There's been a lot more info on the forum lately too. Some of the stuff's been pretty scary...so it seemed like I need a little protection.''

''Well, just be careful. And you'd better put it away, that's definitely going to drag attention.''

''Oh, right!'' He did so. ''It's just for self-defense though. I mean, people might come after me if they found out I was working with the Phantom Thieves, right?'' Mishima leaned back. ''But as I was saying, we've had a pretty massive influx of new posts on the forum. One of them seems particularly worthwhile. It's bigger than anything we've done so far. But if we want to make the Phantom Thieves more famous, we'll need to go after some flashier targets.'' He smiled. ''Leave this to me though. I'm gonna get the info we need, even if I have to put myself in danger to do it!''

''Well, let's hope it never comes to that...''

''By the way, do I look any different?''He asked, Namine gave him a confused look, wondering where that came from. Mishima then elaborated ''People keep saying that I changed recently. I guess I can't hide my new confidence. My true worth will finally...''

''Well, well if it isn't Mishima!'' A voice called before three boys walked over.

''Akiyama-kun...''

''Long time no see, zero. Y'know, we've been sitting over there the whole time but we didn't even notice you sitting here. You're exactly the same as you were in middle school, Mishima.''

''Yeah, once a zero, always a zero.''

''Hey, that's not true...'' Namine frowned. ''...don't listen to them.''

''Oh yeah?''

''And who do you think you are?''

''His friend. Now leave him alone.''

''Hm-you know, you're pretty cute. You wanna hang out sometimes?''

''No, thank you.''

''Guess it's just pity...''

''H-hey...!''

''It's not!''

''Must be. Oh yeah, you haven't changed your cell number have you?''

''Huh? N-no, I haven't...''

''Then why didn't you come over to our hangout? All our ex-classmates were there, y' know. Oh, wait...Nobody even remembered you existed! Can't invite a guy you can't remember, huh?'' Akiyama laughed.

''R-right...'' Mishima laughed weakly.

''Come on, boys, let's go.''

''Those lousy little...'' Namine glared at their retreating figures for a moment before sparing her classmate a concerned look. ''...Mishima-kun...''

''It's not what it looks like, OK?'' He cut in. ''You know that one guy in every class who ends up being the butt of all the jokes? That was me...But I'm not going to be like that anymore. I've changed!'' He paused. ''Sorry...did you mean what you said back there?''

''Yeah, I wouldn't have said it if I didn't.''

''O-oh, th-thanks...well, it's getting late. We should probably leave.''

* * *

As she was helping Sojiro out in Leblanc in the evening, Yusuke came to the cafe, wanting to talk to her about something.

They headed up to her room, with Yusuke placing the covered canvas down before he turned to face her. ''Since I finished this, I believed you should be the first person to see it.''

Namine's eyes widened as he removed the cloth, something about the painting was familiar to her ''Is that...?''

''Yes...the completed form of my earlier draft.'' Yusuke replied. ''I would like your honest opinion, if you would.''

''It seems...mysterious.''

''That was my intention.'' Yusuke was pleased. ''I do not paint for the sake of others' comprehension. This is my choice to interpret human desires. It is the foul charm held deep within the abyss of the heart. To be honest, I believe my success in capturing desire so elegantly is due to our Mementos foray. I have grown to understand the intricacies of the heart in ways I never thought possible. Namine, I'm going to submit this piece to an upcoming art exhibition. Nobody has seen the abyss of the heart in such a raw manner, the discourse will be fascinating. This will be the spark to revitalize my slumbering art career.''

''I hope you're right.'' Namine returned.

''Yes, I wish for you to accompany me for the moment it is revealed before the general public.''

''Well, it would be a shame to go through the development and miss out on the end result. I'm there!''

Yusuke smiled ''I'm glad to hear it. I'm sure this will be a sensational experience for those who opt to undergo it. A raw unbridled look into the depth of the human psyche and I was the one able to bring it to life thanks to your assistance. You have my sincerest gratitude, Namine.''

''What're friends for?''

* * *

The next day, after school...

Namine was waiting for Ann near Shujin's entrance as they agreed to hang out earlier.

Morgana poked his head out of her bag ''I wonder where Lady Ann wants to go...knowing her, I bet it'll be some place great.''

The girl looked bemused ''Well...'' She paused as the cat's expression.

''Hey, isn't that your friend from the other day?''

''?'' She followed his line of sight to find that he was looking at Haru, who was making to leave as well. The girl was also distracted upon noticing her.

''Oh hi, Nami-chan.'' She smiled. ''Are you heading off too?''

''Mmhm, just waiting for a friend.'' Namine returned. ''It seems like you're busy too.''

Haru nodded ''I'm going to meet Father at...oh!''

The sudden pause made Namine turn to see what got her attention, seeing a grand black limousine stopping then.

''I'm sorry, I have to go.'' Haru told her.

''Er, right...just one thing...'' Namine blinked twice at the sight. ''Haru-chan, Mind if I ask what's going on?''

''W-well, it's just...'' The girl looked sheepish. ''...apparently Father wants me to go to this party with him.''

''Right and this stuff is usual for you?''

''Yes, but...see, it's what he wants. My father is Okumura Kunikazu...''

''Wait,'' Namine held up a hand, remembering hearing the name before. ''Isn't that the president of Okumura Foods?''

''Yes, he's the president.'' Haru replied.

''Whoa, okay...That...actually explains a few things.'' Namine said at last. ''So you meant it when you said you hardly got a look around anywhere in your pace. I just thought it meant you were sheltered.''

''That's also true, I'm afraid I just...didn't have much freedom before...Father insisted that I follow his plans.''

Namine's expression made it clear that she didn't like where this was going. However, she decided to wait until she got all the details. ''...Just so we're clear, we can still hang out when possible, right?''

Haru's expression made it clear that she hadn't expected that ''Um, Nami-chan, you don't care that...?''

''That your dad's some multi-millionaire? It's cool and all but that doesn't have to do with me. That doesn't have to do with our promise. And hey, I had fun the other two times, so I want to see if we can keep that going.''

Haru couldn't help the bright smile on her face at that ''...So would I. I'm very much looking forward to it.''

She got in the limousine and it left. Morgana spoke after a few moments ''I thought she behaved like someone from the high class, no wonder...You did really good by her, Namine, I have a feeling she really appreciated your words.''

''Well, I'm glad, I just told her the truth.'' The girl returned. ''She didn't mention it but it kind of sounds like she's got enough on her plate because of her home situation, I'm not going to add anymore. Haru-chan's the one I'm trying to get to know anyway.''

''Hey guys!'' Ann called, running over. ''Sorry I kept you waiting...''

* * *

''What did you want to pray for anyway?'' Morgana asked.

''Oh, for us. For the phantom thieves.''

''Sounds like a good idea.'' Namine remarked.

''That's sweet of you, Lady Ann! I'm sure we'll be even more successful because of this!'' Morgana enthused.

''I don't know about that...'' Ann half-smiled, she and Namine exchanged amused looks. The three entered Meiji Shrine... ''...problem is, I don't really know how to pray.''

''Same here, I was curious so I asked Boss after you brought this up last night. He said you clap twice and bow before leaving an offering, then you ring the bell, clap and bow.'' Namine explained.

''All right, let's go then!''

''I thought I recognized that hair color...''

Namine blinked at the familiar voice and turned her head, surprised to find Takemi standing there. ''Oh hi, Takemi-sensei.''

''Hey, kid. You here to pray to pass your exams or something?''

''Something like that...'' Truthfully, the thought never occured to Namine.

''Takemi...oh, she's the doctor you told us about, the one who gave you that medicine?'' Ann realized, seeing the girl nod. ''Ah, sorry, we're in the way...''

''No, don't worry about it.'' Takemi returned, putting her bag near her foot before stopping to get ready to pray.

''Goodbye.'' Namine called, the woman gave a little wave in return before turning back.

The girls left her to it and walked away with Ann starting to speak ''You know, I was thinking of starring in action movies.''

''Why action movies of all things?'' Namine asked curiously.

''Well, it'll help me be a better phantom thief!''

''You just lost me there.'' Namine admitted.

''Me too. What do you mean?'' Morgana added.

''You know how we agreed to work so our hearts would become stronger. It's like this, I know villains do get beat and all every time but they still keep at their schemes to the very end. They're pretty strong, I thought I could learn from that and get stronger!''

The two shared a look, both left bewildered by the logic. ''Lady Ann, I'm not so sure about this...''

''Oh, come on! They could totally pick me to be a villain.'' The girl stated.

''Ah I think you're missing the point...'' Morgana started but Namine shook her head.

''Let it go, if that's what she wants...''

''You'll see, I'll make it work!'' Ann declared.

Namine looked skeptic ''If you say so...Anyway, what made you want to get into movies? I think Ryuji and Morgana said something about your acting skills before. What's that like?''

Their feline companion blinked ''Oh yeah, I forget you've barely seen her at it before...trust me, you haven't missed much.''

''Hey!'' Ann pouted. ''Do me a favor and don't listen to them. They're just full of talk!''

''Sorry, Lady Ann but I have to say I agree with Ryuji here. I don't know about your acting...''

''Well, you're wrong!''

'That basically answers nothing.' Arsene stated.

''I think we're better off leaving this one alone, Arsene...'' Namine trailed off, shaking her head as the two continued their talk.

* * *

Later, Namine headed off to meet Ryuji at the ramen shop...

''So I've tried to talk to the team about the record but that kept getting messed up.'' The blond admitted.

Namine blinked ''How come?''

''You know how I said that some still don't want to deal with me because of what happened before? That's how.''

The burgundy haired girl frowned ''That's terrible...don't tell me you're listening to them now. It wasn't your fault.'' The boy just chuckled and she narrowed her eyes.''Ryuji...''

''I know, I know.'' He held up his hands in a defensive gesture. ''I just figured you'd say somethin' like that.''

''Anyway, did you want to have Nakaoka-san and Takeishi-san listen to it?'' Namine clarified.

''That's the whole idea.'' Ryuji confirmed. ''Since there's still all this trouble between them, things are gettin' kinda complicated. At least Gozaka told me when they might show up next...'' He began to smile. ''...y'know, it's funny...back when Kamoshida's plan all worked out, I felt like complete shit. I never imagined I'd feel that awful about anything...I knew it was all 'cuz of him but still...I hated being an outcast, but now I think it's a good thing. I might have never met you guys if I hadn't been one.''

''Maybe...'' Namine trailed of. ''...that actually applies to me too. Things turned out bad but we're learning to change that and make the most of our experiences.''

''You got that right!'' Ryuji grinned. ''And we'll just keep it up.''

Now that she could readily agree with. ''Absolutely.''

* * *

The Phantom Thieves headed to Kaneshiro's Palace the following day, stopping upon arriving at the entrance.

Makoto remembered to ask something then. ''So what am I going to be called? You all go by code names, right?''

''You're quite perceptive.'' Fox stated.

''This time's a hard one...Maybe somethin' like 'Shoulder Pads'?'' Skull offered.

''Why in the world would you focus on that...?'' Mona trailed off while Joker gave the boy an odd look, clearly wondering the same.

''I refuse to be called that.'' Makoto, quite rightly in their opinions, stated.

''What about 'Rider'?'' Fox suggested.

''Sounds too much like a smuggler. Next.''

''Fixer?'' Panther offered.

''I'm not a mastermind though. Next. Won't you give me something better to work with?''

''She reminds me of an empress.'' Mona stated. ''You got anything, Joker?''

''How about Queen?''

''Whoa, I totally see it!'' Panther smiled.

''It fits so well that I'm at a loss for words here.'' Mona added.

''Queen...it has a nice ring to it.'' Makoto smiled. ''I like it, let's go with that. Now then, could you explain to me the strategy of this mission?''

''Strategy?'' Skull echoed.

''You don't have one? Wait, the Phantom Thieves were acting without plans?!''

''We do pretty much make things up as we go along.'' Joker returned. ''We look around and Mona gives us navigation info when needed and we go for the treasure while taking out enemies...Can I just take a second to point out that this is coming from someone who just rushed into that mafia den without any thought?''

''...Point made.'' Queen stated sheepishly, the rest looked amused at this. ''I promise to try and curb that. I feel like I'll be useful for sure. It seems like my role is to be the brains of this team. I'll analyze Mona's information and give out orders. Any objections?''

''N-none, Queen!'' Skull exclaimed.

''I bet Skull's definitely the type that'll be under a girl's thumb.'' Panther rolled her eyes.

''Mona, will you begin navigating us?'' Queen inquired.

''Y-yes, Queen!''

''Him too, it seems.'' Fox sighed while Joker sweatdropped.

* * *

Seeing as the Palace was blocked, they had to figure out a way in first.

The newest Phantom Thief looked at Joker ''By the way...I think I should apologize, I was forcing myself and I'm aware that you're the leader.''

''Ah, don't mind that.'' She reassured. ''It's fine, I know you don't mean anything anyway. We did want you to be the advisor, remember? On that note though, I'm sorry too, I didn't want to rub that earlier mishap in.''

''You didn't do anything, that was just the truth.''

''Glad you think so...it just came to mind because you really surprised me.'' Joker admitted. ''You never seem liked the sort who'd just jump into things.''

Queen sighed ''Yes. I wasn't thinking at all...it was all just too much at once. But more on that later...how do we proceed?''

''Hmm...I think I know something that could help.'' With that, Joker proceeded to use Third Eye. She looked around a bit before heading to a pig statue near the wall on their far left. As the others watched curiously, she inspected the statue and pressed the switch on its back. This made it move slowly, revealing a tunnel.

''Hey, all right!'' The five immediately went in...

* * *

''...You know guys, I said Kaneshiro was a disgusting pig but this is just taking things too literally.''

Skull nodded to Panther's comment, glancing at a couple of the statues nearby ''Totally. It really does take one to know one after all.''

''Agreed.''

''You said it.''

Fox and Joker agreed.

Their path is obstructed by shadows then, revealing to be an Oni, a Rakshasa, two Angels and a Nekomata. The Rakshasa uses Mind Slice and Mona charged to slash at it in retaliation, helped by Skull as he bashed the shadow's head. Mona followed up on the offense by having Zorro cast magic next, the shadow's reaction proving that it was weak to wind magic. Striking once more, the Persona finished it off.

As the Angels flew at Joker, they were forced to a stop when she shot at them. The girl touched her mask then ''Nue, Maeiha!'' The chimera like Persona struck them both with volleys of curse blasts for a lot of damage, giving her the chance to finish one of them with two strikes of her dagger. Fox shot the other Angel before cutting it down as well, then being forced to guard as the Oni used Rampage.

''Maragi!'' Panther cast. Carmen giggled as she proceeded to strike all the remaining shadows with her flames.

''Johanna!'' Queen rode on her Persona once more, enabling her to evade an enemy attack. ''Mafrei!''

The consecutive attacks left the shadows reeling, with the Oni getting burned. Queen tried another Mafrei, finding that it did more damage to Oni than before. Skull wrapped the fight up by having Captain Kidd Rampage at the two shadows.

The group made its way into the foyer, which lead to some of the rooms they had seen back when they were taken to the reception room. Problem was, they were all locked. After finding some treasure chests with a couple of useful pieces of equipment, Skull discovered something he found odd.

''Hey, wha...is that a piggy bank?'' The teen picked up the item. ''I know the guy's greedy but it's weird to see somethin' like this here...''

''What, there's more of those?'' Mona blinked. ''I don't blame you for being surprised but I got to pick up two on our way. Just take it, weird or not, we can use the money they're holding.''

Nodding, Skull put the item away. After that, they found the elevator but quickly realized it wasn't working. Queen concluded that there should be a control room nearby to make it work, leading them to agree to search for that now since they would likely need to head to other levels of the Palace.

In the midst of their search, the thieves are almost discovered by shadows but Fox and Panther manage to shoot both of them, leaving them stunned and easy to ambush. After taking them out, Joker notes the direction the enemies had been coming from, leading to a huge set of stairs. This lets them find two more piggy banks but more importantly, it lead to the keycard reader. Mona reasons that they would likely have to use this thing sooner or later, keeping it in mind but they move on as there was nothing else to go on now.

* * *

Defeating more shadows along the way, the team enter a vent which takes them to the security room. They were fortunately warned of the enemies in wait by their Personas, which left them prepared to battle. After which, they find the key card and bank blueprint, which also worked as a map of the Palace. The second item helped show a shortcut to the area with the key card reader.

''Hey, we're making some good progress here.'' Panther remarked with a smile.

Joker nodded, coming to a pause ''Here's something else we can use...'' She took them a Safe Room.

''I see, so there's such a place...that's certainly useful.'' Queen mused as Fox explained to her about the Safe Room.

Joker and Mona were examining the blueprint, both considering their current progress and how far they should go from here on.

''Well, it's safe to say there isn't much for us at the first floor...'' The feline thief mused. ''...I never sensed the treasure so far. It must be still ahead.''

''Makes sense, it looks like we've got plenty to go anyway.'' Joker remarked. ''Is everyone good to continue?''

''Definitely.'' Panther returned while the rest nodded back.

''All right, let's go then.''

* * *

Skull came to a sudden pause ''Uh, guys...what do we do about those?''

'Those' being the security cameras lined up in the hall they were about to enter. The blond frowned a bit ''I mean I know it's better to try getting away from them but how?''

Mona was inwardly relieved that the boy was thinking this time and not just rushing into things. ''Well, you're right in that we need to avoid them...''

''Maybe...'' Queen had a thought. ''...Joker, would your Third Eye work?''

''I don't know but it's worth a shot...'' The girl activated the ability, focusing on the area before them. ''...okay, follow me.'' With that, she was able to lead them past the cameras' range quickly.

Fox spotted an electrical box mounted on the wall nearby ''Could this be...?''

After a moment of thought, he broke it, the cameras came to a stop almost immediately afterwards.

''Hey, all right!'' Panther exclaimed. ''So the way to stop those things is to cut off their power.''

''It seems so.'' The artist returned before they moved on.

It wasn't long before shadows obstructed their path once again. They were an Orobas, a Leanhan Sidhe, a Nekomata and two Orthrus. Skull kicked off the offense, summoning his Persona.

''All right, Captain, let's try this new one, Bad Beat!''

The pirate's attack caused a good amount of damage, even knowing the Orobas to the ground. The Nekomata proceeded to use Evil Touch on Queen, leaving her confused as it didn't seem to cause any harm.

As the brunette made to counter, she found that she couldn't, being overwhelmed by fear. ''What...but why?''

The next thing she knew, the shadow had rushed in and slapped her. It was about to attack once again when...

''Agilao!''

...it was struck by fierce flames that destroyed it. Panther ran to Queen ''You okay?''

She nodded ''Thanks, it's time I do my part, Johanna!'' Her Persona appeared. ''Vajra Blast!''

The girls attacked together afterwards, destroying the Orobas and leaving the Leanhan Sidhe dazed, making it easy for Skull to finish it off.

Joker, Fox and Mona were left facing the two Orthrus. The second dodged one of them pouncing at him, countering with a Rising Slash. The two shadows attacked once again, causing some damage but Mona stopped them in their tracks by having Zorro throw them off with a Magaru.

Joker touched her mask, deciding to test the results of her last visit to the Velvet Room ''Shiki-Ouji!''

The new Persona towered over the two shadows, proceeding to Taunt them at Joker's command.

''Er, Joker? I hope you're going somewhere with this...'' Mona trailed off, watching the enraged shadows warily.

''Yes, I don't believe angering them was wise.'' Fox stated.

''I'm getting there...'' She assured. ''...Mapsi!''

With a wave of its arm, Shiki-Ouji hit the two shadows with a burst of violet energy. It didn't take long for the two to see that the combination had actually caused far more damage this way, finishing one of the Orthrus off and leaving the other very weakened. Taking the chance, Joker was able to convince it to become one of her Personas.

''Nice work!'' Queen smiled. ''So you can use your Personas that way too...''

''I'm learning to, anyway. Might as well make the most of my abilities.'' Joker returned, pausing to pick up the skill card the shadow dropped before following the rest.

* * *

After finding another hall with cameras, it was soon clear that they couldn't handle it the same way as there were just too many cameras with quite a range. This left the team forced to look for another way. Finding a few locked doors, Mona notices the electrical box to their south. Once again, destroying it stops the cameras and leaves them able to continue.

Soon enough, they cross the eastern hallway, which leads them to a huge vault. Bringing up another issue, how to open it?

''Man, every time we work somethin' out, we find a new problem...'' Skull grumbled.

''It certainly is irritating but there's no helping it, we just have to keep trying.'' Queen stated.

Fox nodded ''Even if we can't deal with a problem directly, we'll have to find a way around it.''

''Sounds good to me, you're thinking like a phantom thief, Fox.'' Mona remarked with a smirk.

As they headed to the nearest door, Joker and Panther went to open the treasure chests nearby. One had some accessories and the other held what looked like tarnished armor.

''What in the...'' Panther tilted her head. ''...should we throw this away?''

''I don't know...maybe we can use it somehow?'' Queen mused, taking the item.

Keeping on their path, they found two electrical boxes, which they destroy. With so many cameras off, their mission became easier.

''...are finally complete?''

A new voice filled the silence in the hall, bringing attention to the sound of footsteps coming closer.

In moments, two guards appeared. They had yet to spot any of the thieves, since they were still on one of the upper platforms.

''Yeah, Boss wants it to be fool-proof. He's especially careful after what those kids from the other day did.''

''Well, that figures...at least, it explains the changes with the vault...'' The shadows left.

''I guess even if we didn't affect the real Kaneshiro enough, his shadow's still starting to get paranoid.'' Panther remarked.

Fox hummed in agreement ''Those guards appeared somewhat different from the others we've encountered. Perhaps they're of a higher rank?''

''Could be...but this also means that we'll have to face them. They did mention the vault. They could have something that can help us deal with it.'' Queen recalled.

Panther nodded ''Then let's just do that.''

''We've got to be careful though, they seem stronger than the other shadows we met. Fighting them together is a bad idea.'' Mona stated.

''Then let's observe them for now. If we see their routine, we should be able to split them up.'' Joker suggested.

The rest nodded and they made to follow the two guards...

* * *

Eventually, they were able to pull it off by using a mechanism to lower the partition once one of the guards was away from the other.

''You again?!'' The first guard, the Tornado Devil, growled. ''Serves me just fine, I'll finish you all off Kaneshiro-sama!''

''You wish!'' Skull struck his head with his weapon, with the shadow grunting and pushing him back.

The Devil proceeded to use Tarukaja before lashing out with its weapon, hitting Mona and Queen. The former tried to stop it from attacking by having his Persona cast wind magic, only to be shocked as the shadow simply brushed it off.

''What?!'' Realizing, belatedly, that their enemy drained wind magic, Mona dodged its following attack.

''Sometimes, shadows with certain elemental strengths are weak against the opposite element.'' Fox mused. ''Skull, care to give it a try?''

''Totally, Captain Kidd! Mazio!''

That turned out to be right idea, as the Tornado Devil was knocked down a second later, leaving it vulnerable to an All Out Attack.

The shadow pulled itself up, roaring angrily. It cast Magarula, forcing everyone to defend. Unfortunately, Skull had it worse considering that he was weak to wind magic.

Picking up on this, the shadow made to attack him but the others wouldn't have it, immediately obstructing its way.

Joker summoned Orthrus ''Marakunda!''

Panther had Carmen follow with an Agilao. Joker added her new Persona's own fire magic to the mix, powering the attacks up.

Fox slashed the Devil while Queen punched it twice, just reacting in time to dodge its Assault Dive. The two were forced back as it repeatedly tried to swipe and kick them.

Mona acted then, stopping its oncoming attack ''Zorro, Lucky Punch!''

The sudden, swift strike left the shadow startled. As it made to attack again, it was distracted when Panther shot a few rounds at it before attacking with her whip. Skull took the opportunity to cast another Mazio, causing a lot of damage which almost threw the shadow down. The team launched another All Out Attack, ending the fight.

Panther spotted something where the shadow just faded away and picked it up. She smiled, holding the key up for all to see ''Guys, I think we're on the right track.''

* * *

After stopping for a little rest, they were back on the way to the vault, they were found by the second guard, the Floodbringer Demon.

''So that's what happened before...very well, it's time you brats learned your place. Take this!''

It cast Mabufula, which wound up causing a lot of damage to Panther, almost knocking her out. Joker went to help her while Queen and Mona covered the two girls, with the former riding on her Persona.

Recognizing the shadow from previous experience, Queen knew what to do. ''Mafrei!''

While Mona slashed the shadow with his blade, it was blasted by the nuclear spell, leaving it dazed.

Wasting no chance, they launched an All Out Attack. The shadow growled and pulled itself up, swinging its mace a few times. It cast another Mabufula before using its Sledgehammer attack on Queen. It tried to attack again but seemed to pause mid-way.

''What just...''

''It's tired, we caused a lot of damage and it's catching up. Come on, let's keep attacking!'' Mona called, brandishing his blade again to strike with Fox following suit.

Joker called on Arsene to attack with nuclear magic while Panther had Carmen blast the enemy with flames.

Skull avoided the oncoming mace, countering with his own weapon. Queen wrapped the fight up with another Mafrei, leaving the shadow to disappear.

''I found another key.'' She informed, picking the item.

''So it had two keys...well, we're good to go.'' Panther remarked.

''Except, I think we should stop here. We've certainly progressed today but lot of a time passed. Let's not push ourselves too much.'' Mona stated.

Fox nodded ''That seems wise. Let's return to the real world then.''

''Nice work, Queen, you handled yourself pretty well.'' Joker praised.

''Like a real champ.'' Skull added. ''But damn, you weren't kidding about that aikido stuff, huh?''

Queen chuckled ''Thank you, I'm glad I could help.''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _Considering all the set up to this place, I figure I might as well leave sometime to focus on the Palace. I hope this was good. Plotting for this arc is kind of a pain but since I'm making it work, I decided to get this chapter out and about. Oh and in case I got anyone confused, Namine's Shiki-Ouji came from the Persona Compendium. I thought about that thing and I figured I might as well try this._

 _Anywho, thanks for sticking with this story so far and if you like it, please leave a review. I know it's a little early but Merry Christmas._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 7)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 6)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 6)_

 _Takemi Tae (Dearh Rank 5)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 4)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 3)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 4)_

 _Caroline and Justlne (Strength Rank 2)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 2)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 1)_


	21. Chapter 21

It didn't take the group long to learn that Makoto had been getting calls from a stranger, which the girl figured had to be one of Kaneshiro's henchmen. Thankfully, there didn't seem to be any other trouble as he was just concentrated on reminding her about the money. However, the knowledge only reinforced the importance of dealing with their current target.

But they couldn't go to the Palace today since half the group was busy, so they settled for focusing on preparations. It would be best not to just rush into things lest they run into trouble. The events that led to their arrival in Kaneshiro's Palace were all too clear a reminder of that fact.

''We better take this carefully.'' Morgana stated, glancing at the messages displayed on Namine's phone. ''It's true that we've made good progress but that doesn't mean we should get overconfident.''

The girl nodded ''Well, we did try to find the photos online but there was nothing yet. I don't want to count on Kaneshiro's word too much but I think we've got some time to handle this.''

''I don't think he'll do much this early anyway. There's still over two weeks left. I don't see that greedy creep missing out on a chance to get any money.'' The cat decided to change the subject. ''So Mishima wants to meet you in that snazzy restaurant that's been getting all this rep lately. It almost sounds like he wants a date.''

Namine spared him an odd look ''Where'd that even come from?''

''Well, I heard Lady Ann talk about how it's becoming a romantic spot. Besides, didn't she and Ryuji mention how he was stiffed by his date the other day?''

''Yeah well, I think it'd be more of a reason not to look for one. Mona, we're friends. I figure he just wants to talk anyway...''

* * *

''Hehe, today's my treat!'' Mishima said happily. ''Phantom thieves are all about fancy stuff like this, right? That's why we're here today! Oh, and it's just the two of us so don't be afraid to go all out! What do you wanna eat?''

''Well, I did eat a little before so I'm not too hungry. But I heard this place has some nice desserts.''

''Sounds good, I'll try that too! First, some steak though. This place is all we can eat so let's make sure we can get our money's worth!''

The two went to a table. ''Anyways, I posted on the Phan-Site that I had connections to you guys and the phandom really ate it up! Don't worry though, I didn't say anything that would point to my real identity. I did end up talking about how expensive it is to run our little organization though. The donations I got after that were...pretty generous to say the least.''

Namine raised an eye ''Wait, you actually got...?''

''Yup!'' He smiled. ''I guess our loving sponsors just want to show us some support. Not bad for strategic movement is it?''

''I'm surprised you worked all that out but I don't think you should keep this up...'' Namine looked uncomfortable.

''Don't worry, it'll be fine. It's a piece of cake for someone as skilled me. Let's take advantage of this windfall as much as we can!'' Mishima exclaimed. ''Oh and I think it's okay to consider this meal an organizational expense-Wait, I've seen on the news that using donations for stuff other than what's publicized is a serious crime...The more I think about this whole thing the less I think we should use the donations here.''

''Yeah, I don't really like where this is going either...''

''I figured...People would get mad at a politician using tax money for personal affairs. The same applies to the Phantom Thieves, I guess returning the money would be the best choice.''

Namine nodded and Mishima went on ''Right, we should keep the team's image as clean as possible. Actually, I think I'll return the money and thank the phandom for their generosity, they'll love that! It'll boost our popularity a whole bunch! But let's leave that alone...I did wind up dragging you all the way out here, I know something to make up for this!''

* * *

His idea was going to a store in Harajuku, which he knew sold especially good crepes. Seeing no problem with it, Namine agreed and the two soon left the restaurant.

''You know, I don't think I've come around these parts before...'' The burgundy haired girl mused, looking around the street. ''...is it always so crowded?''

''Yup, Harajuku's always buzzing with activity. I'm pretty sure a part of the new requests I got on the Phan-Site came from this area.'' Mishima remarked. ''I was actually wondering if this place could help with the...''

''Yo, Namine!''

The two started at the voice, seeing Ryuji approach them ''Fancy runnin' into you here.''

''Oh hey, Ryuji.''

''Oh, Sakamoto.''

''Mishima?! Why're you here?!''

''Took you long enough to notice me.'' The boy frowned ''Anyway, what're you doing out? Could you be...on a date?!''

''Hell no! What, _you_ on a date?''

''W-what?! No!'' Mishima's face reddened.

Namine just gave the boy an unimpressed look ''We were just hanging out.''

''Well, I'm just making a point. Besides, I'm lookin' for workout clothes. Heard they've got a pretty sweet selection here.'' He frowned. ''But some of em are dirty...and have a funky smell...''

''And once again rumors prove to be a load of hot air,'' Namine stated.

''Yeah, it sounds like those clothes are used.'' Mishima sweatdropped.

''Meh, oh well, you guys free? Wanna grab a bite?'' Ryuji wondered.

''We were going to that shop...'' Namine looked at Mishima to see how he felt about it.

''It's not too far. We were going to get crepes. You want one?'' Mishima wondered.

''What are you, a chick?'' Ryuji deadpanned.

''H-hey!''

The blond went on, ignoring his response ''I mean, I get if Namine wants some but that's different.''

''I don't see the big deal.'' Aforementioned girl returned. It was just food, what was wrong with a boy eating one? ''Let's just have what we want...''

''Exactly!'' Mishima smiled. ''See, Sakamoto? Namine-san gets it. Come on!''

In the end, the three hung out for a while before going their separate ways.

* * *

Upon learning that he had found a venue to display his new painting, Namine went to meet Yusuke at the museum per the artist's request...

''In addition to the exhibition aspect of this show, there is also an evaluation portion.'' Yusuke told Namine. ''Hm, I believe my piece truly stands out among the sea of art here. And yet nobody has come to see it...Perhaps they are so afraid of the truth held within that they dare not take a closer look.''

A middle aged couple walked by ''What is that supposed to be?''

''There's a dark, sinister aura emanating from it.'' The woman mused.

''Hm, the title is Desire? I see no desire here. Ah, I understand now. This area is for students. The artist likely decided to paint this on a while.'' The man continued.

''Indeed, there is no elegance or emotion in this piece. Come dear, there are much more detailed paintings over there...'' The two walked away.

''Yusuke...'' Namine muttered as the teen looked at his painting with a frown.

''...There is no need to worry. I'm not bothered in the slightest.'' He assured. ''That was nothing more than the drivel of unrefined commoners. I needn't pay any mind to them. As long as those who are in the know understand my work, I will be happy.'' He seemed satisfied. ''A knowledgeable patron has arrived.''

''Hm...?''

''I would like your opinion, sir. What are your thoughts on this painting?'' Yusuke inquired.

''I can see quite clearly why it was accepted into the exhibition. The technique is excellent.'' was the response. ''However...the composition at a whole is at best mediocre.''

''How dare you-?'' Yusuke started.

''Ah, are you the artist? The title is Desire but that idea is quite overused. Some may even call it stale. If you want to paint an abstract work with such an old theme, you must inject some individuality into it.''

''What...?''

''Take another look. Try to remove yourself from the artist's bias. These brush strokes are splendid given your age...but but does this painting tell you anything? It is empty, devoid of meaning. I suggest you take a more critical eye to your work in the future if you truly want to progress as an artist.'' He left.

''My work is...empty?'' Yusuke wondered.

''That was harsh...'' Namine glanced at the man's retreating figure.

''Yes...it may ve difficult to bear at times, but the beholder is entitled to their own opinions.'' Yusuke stated. ''But why...I put my heart and soul into this piece, captured the very essence of desire. It was supposed to lay bare the reality of the world!'' He studied it. ''Perhaps...he was right. It may be empty after all...These colors, these brush strokes...they do not convey the true meaning of desire, only my conception of it! I haven't captured desire...Desire has captured me!'' He fell to his knees. ''How could have fooled myself into believing otherwise?! It is as though I have been forsaken by the gods of art! This grave mistake shall be the end for me...!''

''Hey, hold on!'' Namine interjected. ''You don't have to try it like that, just try again!'' He looked at her in surprise. ''Look, this can be your starting point. So don't just give up!''

''It's not that simple! I have no future in this world...What is going to happen to me now...? Without art, what will remain of my being...?!''

''If art is this important to you, why are you giving up? This isn't like you, come on, stand up.'' Namine insisted.

''...I see...I must stand up, both literally and figuratively. Failure and art go hand in hand, I cannot simply give up now!'' He stood. ''Still, being criticized by someone with such a keen eye is truly painful...But that's all the more reason I must break out of my slump. I must prove my ability to him!''

''Now you're talking!'' Namine beamed.

He smiled ''I will start by painting. After that, I will paint beyond which I shall paint even more...That is the only way I will learn to capture the essence of emotion. After all you can only accomplish so much in using logic to analyze the heart's content. I hope you allow me to continue my skill card services as well, Namine. If you would help I believe I can progress. I shall conquer this!''

She nodded ''That's the spirit!''

* * *

Any plans they had to visit the Metaverse were derailed thanks in a huge part to an accident in Shibuya. They couldn't get much news yet but the suspicion was it was caused by a mental shutdown. Since a lot of the roads near the area were blocked, they decided to hold off a visit to the Palace today. This also makes the group remember about the criminal causing them, filling Makoto in over the messages in the group chat. Though surprised, the girl muses if the accident really was that, considering where it happened. While they couldn't be sure, Makoto had heard from Sae that there was a policeman who was killed in the accident, leaving them to agree that Kaneshiro could very likely have something to do with it.

''Maybe we weren't the only ones looking to deal with him after all.'' Morgana mused as he observed the messages. ''Makoto's right, it sounds like way too much of a coincidence.''

''Yeah but it would mean Kaneshiro has something to do with that criminal, right?'' Namine concluded.

''Could be. It's just something we'll have to get out of his shadow.'' The cat stretched. ''Anyway, there's no point worrying about it now. I think the accident might have even influenced the Metaverse, we should wait till things calm down.''

''All right...'' Namine's phone buzzed again, making the girl look to see that she had gotten an e-mail.

Her face lit up as she read it ''It's from Grandma...''

A curious Morgana looked over, blinking at the message before he started to laugh ''What kind of challenge is that? He actually went for it?''

Namine was laughing too, the email had the usual greetings and well fare and also a little snippet about how Itsuki took up a challenge to eat quite the amount of food. Yuri also put in that her husband had actually won but the prize certainly wasn't driving himself sick. The whole thing sounded ridiculous and Namine knew her grandmother had wasted no time in making her opinion clear. ''Sounds like Grandpa all right...with how interested he is in trying new stuff, he'd be all over this.''

''That kinda sounds like you too, so you've got that same adventurous spirit.'' Morgana remarked.

''Hehe, yeah I think I get it from him after all...Give me some credit though, I wouldn't go for that stuff. He'd probably get a kick out of the whole thing later.''

This made the cat snicker ''Your grandparents sound like a colorful pair.''

''Mmhm...'' Namine's smile widened as she made to reply to the email. ''...you have no idea, Morgana.''

* * *

Since their teacher couldn't make it to the last two periods, Namine and Ann's class finished up early. Securing the burgundy haired girl's promise to meet her at her upcoming photo shoot's location, Ann leaves while Namine hangs back to finish her studies in a subject.

Namine hadn't even known she could be this studious before but considering her circumstances, she just wanted to make sure things would be okay. She had missed two years after all...

Once she wrapped things up, she and Morgana headed over to Odaiba. As Namine paused to check the shoot's location from where she marked it on her phone's map, Morgana suddenly spoke.

''Hey, look!''

''?'' Namine followed his line of sight, noticing Akechi talking to what looked like members of a TV crew, considering the equipment they were gathering up. From what little they could hear, it seemed that the detective had been asked to help with a commercial.

''You know, for all he tried to make light of it, Akechi really does get around with that reputation.'' Morgana remarked. ''He never struck me as the modest type.''

''Isn't it a little early for that kind of thing, Mona? We don't exactly know him.'' Namine returned as she began walking away.

''Well, maybe...anyway, come on, Lady Ann is probably waiting now.''

Knowing he was right, the girl made to head off but then they heard Akechi's voice ''Oh, it's you!'' The detective walked over, they exchanged greetings before Namine spoke.

''So, for all the way you just waved your fame iff when we asked you at the station, you're obviously a celebrity.'' She mused, more or less restating Morgana's words but she was curious about what he would say.

''Ah, this?'' He smiled. ''It's nothing so special. Just something that came along as my reputation spread.''

Namine looked bemused ''See, that's what I'm getting at. Your fans obviously don't think it's something so small.'' At his confused look, she subtly pointed to three girls near the area where the commercial was shot. They were talking animatedly and glancing in his direction every now and then.

''Oh...'' He chuckled. ''...I suppose it's hard to argue with that. Anyway, it looked like you were going somewhere, Hyakuya-san? I'm sorry for slowing you down.''

''It's okay, there's still sometime. I'm going to meet Ann around these parts. She's busy with that photo shoot but I guess I'm her moral support.''

''Oh, that girl from the other day is a model? Well, it's certainly nice of you to help out.''

''It's no big deal, she's my friend.'' Namine returned, he gave a small smile. ''So just curious here, what's it like being a detective anyway?''

''Well, let's just say it's something that happened along some events. But it's certainly engaging, I wouldn't mind...'' Akechi was distracted when one of the TV crew called for him. ''...ah, my apologies, it looks like I should go.''

''Mm, I better be on my way too.''

As the two teens split off, Morgana glanced at Akechi's retreating figure _''Huh...that was different. I wonder if there's more to him than I assumed after all.''_

* * *

Once they met Ann at the location, Namine and Morgana suspected trouble to be up ahead.

Why? The reason came in the form of Mika.

The woman walked over ''Oh, so you came for my special.''

''You asked for me, right? Wow, I barely recognized you...Did you lose weight...? Or maybe change your make up?'' Ann wondered.

''The theme for today's shoot is the elegance of a woman.'' Mika stated. ''So I conditioned my body to be more elegant.''

''W-what do you mean?''

''Controlling what you eat, how you move...That's all. It may sound easy, but it's pretty tough.'' Mika returned. ''You have to write down everything you eat, making sure to check the nutritional and calorie content. I even hired a personal trainer to take special note of my diet and oversee my exercise regiment.''

''Whoa...that's amazing! Does that mean you don't get double chocolate crepes?'' Ann wondered.

''I think that's exactly the point, Ann...'' Namine trailed off.

''Right! Of course I don't! I'd get fat with just one bite of that stuff!'' Mika exclaimed, looking irritated. ''Not to mention the other stuff I do! I take herbal medication, wear warming socks, do pilates and yoga...Day after day...how many squats do you think I do in a week?! Ugh, a natural beauty like you could never understand how much work I put into my modeling!''

''You know, it's kinda embarrassing getting complimented like that...'' Ann blushed.

''I'm pretty sure she didn't mean it like that...'' Morgana sighed.

Mika soon proved that true ''Sorry, did I say natural beauty? What I meant was natural airhead.''

''Who're you calling an airhead?!''

She winced ''Eeek! Ann-senpai, stop it...!''

''Hey, don't start this again!'' Namine cut in. ''You can't just insult her and act like she was in the wrong!''

''This has nothing to do with you.'' Mika said coldly.

The girl was more than match for her ''Well, considering you're messing around with my friend, it does. So back off.''

The photographer walked over ''Come on, you two. We're going to start.''

* * *

''This way, Mika-chan.'' The Cameraman called. ''Yeah, that's perfect. That's exactly the expression I'm looking for.'' Mika giggled. ''Wonderful, wonderful!''

''I see now...this is a test...'' Ann said. ''...well, I'm not gonna lose!'' She took a pose and winked.

The photographer was troubled ''Um, Ann-chan...could try being a little...sexier?''

''You mean like this?'' Mika posed.

''Oh, that's beautiful!'' He smiled.

''Watch and learn, amateur.'' Mika hissed. ''You better not drag me down, okay?''

''You're amazing, Mika-chan!''

Ann was left seething again...

* * *

''Ooohh, you know the president of that fancy car company? Introduce me, please.'' Mika beamed. ''Yeah, the owner even invited me to dinner! Y'know working with all of you just makes me so happy!''

''...She's a real piece of work.'' Morgana grumbled.

''I'll say...'' Namine trailed off.

Ann watched this for a bit before looking at them ''Let's go back.''

* * *

''Ugh, Shiho was right. I should have just avoided this.'' Ann sighed. ''I wanted to think we could get along when she asked for me.''

''She must have been trying to show you up, Lady Ann.'' Morgana stated.

''You think?''

''No matter how I look at it, Mika seems jealous.''

''Is that why she was mad at me?'' She sighed. ''If that's the case, I probably deserved everything she did.''

''What do you mean?'' Namine wondered.

She sighed again, remaining silent before speaking ''I'm so pissed off!''

''Um, Lady Ann?''

''Mika had to work super hard everyday to get to where she is now.'' The girl remarked. ''She worked out, watched her diet, made friends with everyone...She couldn't rely on connections like I did...She didn't become a model just for the heck of it. Her resolve, her knowledge, her fashion sense...They're all on a totally different level than me! Mika is amazing...Mika is strong! But me? I'm nothing! Just thinking about it makes me feel so angry...I feel like I could explode!''

''Hold on, saying you're nothing is...'' Morgana started.

''It's the truth!'' Ann cried. ''This whole time I've just been pretending to be model. It was like the clothes were wearing me...I mean, that's what I always thought being a model meant!...But I was totally wrong. A real model draws out the beauty of the clothes they wear...casts a stunning magic on them...A real model is flexible, beautiful and strong. Well, I've had enough pretending. I want to be a real model!''

Namine couldn't help her rising feeling relief, the girl was certainly taking this experience as a good motivator after all. ''Go for it!''

''Right! I'm gonna take the world by storm, just you watch, guys!''

* * *

The Phantom Thieves headed back the Palace the next day, quickly arriving at the vaults.

Queen couldn't help feeling a little unnerved as she noticed how some of the team were gleefully picking up all the money they could gather. ''Let's not get greedy, you guys...''

''Oh, we won't! We're going to putting this all to a good cause.'' Panther assured.

Joker nodded ''I think if there's anything we can learn from this, it's to watch ourselves and make sure we _don't_ become greedy. This is all going to help us all, like with our work in the Metaverse. Remember when I told you about the Velvet Room? That's where I got Shiki-Ouji. I usually get help with my Personas there and it often takes a good amount of money.''

''That makes sense...'' Queen blinked. ''...wait, what do those people even do with the money though? I was under the impression that they stayed in the Metaverse.''

''So was I.'' The girl shrugged. ''I tried asking that before but Caroline just said something about equivalent exchange and what not. Well, it's a lot at times but the results are worth it.''

''That's definitely true...''

Soon they came across some treasure chests, one had a weapon for Fox while the other had a couple of accessories. This was when Mona noticed a blue pig near the chests and went to examine it. On it was some writing, P=1, deciding to keep it for now, the feline put the paper away.

* * *

''Mazio!''

''Mabufu!''

Captain Kidd and Goemon attacked in tandem, finishing off the last of the shadows that attempted to block the team's path. Both faded away, revealing another blue pig.

''Hey, I found another one!'' Skull waved the item a little before taking a closer look. ''...Yup, it's got another of those pages too.''

This was the fourth blue pig they had found so far and while the first had been a coincidence, they had kept a look out at Mona's behest and so discovered that those pages seemed to be scattered around the area.

''What's the big deal about those anyway, Mona?'' He went on.

''I don't know for sure but they seem important. Besides, looking at them now...'' He took out the paper he had kept while picking the one in Skull's hand. ''...they must have been hidden for a reason.''

Joker had an idea ''You think it's some kind of code?''

Mona smirked ''Exactly! There's no way they're here by chance.''

''Good point. Looking back, there was that PIN machine earlier...'' Fox recalled.

Panther frowned ''How do we know which is the code though? This is all a bunch of random numbers and letters.''

Queen examined the papers ''...I think we could try the method you guys used to get the Palace keywords. Let's try putting in words together from this, but we'll have to make sure the word could be relevant to this place.''

They agreed that it was a good plan and headed back to the room with the PIN machine. After debating it for a little while, they came up with a few words like reap, and pear...

''I don't see what any of those have to do with a bank...'' Panther tilted her head.

''All except this one.'' Queen put it in the numbers 0931, the door next to the machine flashed before it opened up.

''It worked?'' Skull blinked. ''Oh, I thought reap had to do with farming and stuff...''

'Normally, you'd be right.' Johanna remarked.

''But it applies here too.'' Queen took over. ''This is just how Kaneshiro sees what he's doing, he's reaping money from his victims. And unlike farmers, he wouldn't give a damn about the consequences of his actions. I'd say Panther was right in calling him a pig.''

The blond grimaced ''Yeah, lousy damn bastard...''

''All the more reason we have to do this.'' Joker stated.

''You bet, let's go!''

* * *

The newly opened area leads the team to the second floor of the vault. It didn't take long for them to discover a hall with some cameras, but they were easily able to bypass it by following the same method from the first floor.

Spotting some guards around the corner, they were able to pull off an ambush and saw that the guards were three Oni. Two of which proceeded to Rampage only for their targets to get out of the way. One got its weapon stuck in a wall and proceeded to try pulling it out. Capitalizing on this, Joker and Mona attacked it with wind magic, sending it flying and leaving it vulnerable for Fox to finish it off.

Queen dodged a swipe from another Oni and punched it in return before Skull moved in to attack next. The former summoned Johanna to attack with magic next, she was soon followed by Carmen, who proceeded to burn both enemies at Panther's command. Soon, the battle was over and they went back to scoping out the second level.

* * *

Fox pointed out a vent that lead them to a higher platform. It also had another of the blue pigs with another torn page.

''I wonder if those will help take us to the treasure eventually.'' Panther mused.

''I don't see why not. At least, it could help lead us in the right direction.'' Fox turned left as a flash caught his eye. ''...It looks like there's another hall with cameras.''

''No surprise there, this place is full of security measures...''

''Yes, but luckily we know what to do here.'' Queen reminded. ''Joker?''

The girl nodded, recognizing the unspoken prompt as she turned her attention to the new area. Using her Third Eye, she carefully observed the hall for a bit before giving the others the signal, letting them safely bypass the cameras. Nearby was the electrical box that could let them disable the cameras along with another blue pig.

''Is it just me or is Joker faster than before?'' Panther wondered.

''You think?'' Joker blinked.

''Hey, it just means all that trainin's paying off.'' Skull grinned at her.

''I guess so...''

''Training?'' Fox gave them a curious look.

''They've been going to a gym every now and then for a while now.'' Mona offered.

''I see...I've noticed before but they certainly are close...''

Panther was intrigued ''Hey, can you take me with your next time?''

''You want to...?'' Skull cocked his head. ''Well, sure why not?''

''As interesting as this all is, can we leave it for later?'' Queen requested.

Joker smiled sheepishly ''Right. Sorry...''

''Buzzkill...'' Skull stiffened at the look Queen gave him then.

''I wouldn't push your luck there. Do you really want to get on her bad side?'' Mona warned.

''I can hear you too.''

The cat cringed at the brunette's statement, trying to think of something to say. Panther rolled her eyes ''Moving on, let's ignore that load of idiocy.''

''All right...I was wondering if we have enough pages to make a word now.'' Queen admitted. Those who had the pages took them out and began looking them over.

''Well...first thing I can see would be hug.'' Mona stated. ''Definitely not that though...''

Fox nodded ''There is an E on this paper. Perhaps we can try the word huge? It seems fitting.''

Queen looked pensive but nodded ''Let's go with that.''

* * *

After they went back to the area with the PIN machine they happened to spot earlier, it turned out that huge was actually the right idea and it opened a new gate.

Just as the group of five was about to move on...

''There you are.'' A shadow formed before them, revealing a guard with a pulsing red aura. Said aura condensed into the ground to form two Oni shadows. ''I'll finish you off for the boss!''

''Not happening!'' Panther brandished her whip.

''I'll show you!'' The shadow, the Defeated Avenger, jumped up and landed a strike with its landing while the first Oni went on to Rampage and the other took a few wide swipes with its weapon that hit those who were closest.

Seeing how the consecutive offense was leaving quite enough damage to go around with, Mona began healing the group. The Defeated Avenger was quick to pick up on this and decided to target the feline thief as a result.

Its following strike was stopped before it could begin by Joker and Skull. The first shot at the shadow's gut and shoulder to stun it while the second bashed its head with his club.

''Why you...'' The Avenger reared its head back and hit them with Mazionga.

It had little effect on Skull however, and he proceeded to summon Captain Kidd ''All right, Captain, Bad Beat!''

The blow sent the shadow reeling but it was angered enough to attack once more, leaving the two to avoid his attacks as much as possible. Joker summoned Orthrus to blast the shadow with fire magic. Skull and Mona followed along to attack up close and Joker hit the shadow with a couple of bullet to its arms, making it drop its weapon before they attacked again, leaving it to disappear.

Meanwhile, the others were dealing with the two Oni. It quickly became apparent to them that the Defeated Avenger was their boss and its defeat threw them off. They were able to capitalize on their inaction to strike them both hard. But then both shadows countered with Rampage, leaving their targets to defend with the best of their ability.

''Johanna!'' Queen charged on her Persona, throwing one of the Oni who had been about to attack her back. ''Flash Bomb!''

Panther attacked the momentarily blinded shadows with her whip while Fox summoned his Persona to finish them off with a Mabufula. With their path now cleared, the team headed to the Safe Room for a little rest.

* * *

After that, they went on to discover that the vault had a third floor. Feeling up to continuing their job now, the thieves entered the new area.

While attempting to avoid some cameras, they were found by some shadows and were able to defeat them. They also found a couple of piggy banks in the process and took those along before they proceeded to explore the hall.

Joker glanced at a set of stairs nearby and after a moment of thought, went up to check where they lead. ''There's another of those PIN readers...''

''Again? So we have to look for more of those pages...'' Mona trailed off. ''...let's keep going for now then.''

The team ran into some shadows as they made their way into the northern hall. They were a Nekomata, an Oni, a Yaksini and a Rakshasha. The Oni tried to hit Panther but the girl easily got out of the way.

''Dance, Carmen!'' The dress-clad Persona appeared, burning the shadow with her flames before Panther flogged it with her whip.

Mona went next ''Persona! Let's try this, Garula.''

The Oni was trapped in a strong vortex that caused it to fall hard to the ground and finishing it off. Queen had Johanna blast their enemies with a Mafrei, damaging them all but particularly damaging the Yaksini, who was weak to nuclear magic.

The shadow tried to attack her and Fox and retaliation but the two held strong and Queen dodged one of her swipes before punching her side, giving Fox a chance to slash at her arms. The two attacked the shadow once more to end it.

''Captain Kidd, Mazio!'' Skull commanded, targeting the Nekomata, which was felled by the lightning. But then the teen was almost blindsided by the Rakshasha. Mona tried to help by using more wind magic but the shadow surprised them by creating what looked like a wall of wind, easily weakening the attack.

Joker touched her mask ''Archangel, Kouga!'' The burst of light struck the shadow hard, knocking it down. This gave the girl a chance to hold the Rakshasha at gun point and have it become one of her masks.

With the battle over, the group was free to look closer at their surroundings. This helped them see how the cameras in the hall before seemed to switch on and off at certain intervals.

''Oh great, what do we do with this one?'' Skull frowned.

Joker looked pensive ''...The only thing I can think of would be to try and watch. If we can be sure when they're off, we should be able to get through safely.''

''Good idea.'' Queen agreed.

They managed to pull it off but it came a little too close to comfort since a few of the cameras had different patterns. Regardless, they were able to pull through. Proceeding from then on to the eastern hallway, there was an electrical box at a small room, they destroyed it to disable the cameras nearby. On the opposite side was another blue pig.

''Hold on, this page's different...''

Mona frowned at the sound of upcoming footsteps ''No time, guys!''

The statement came at just the right moment, for a guard came around the corner then. Unlike the ones they had seen, it seemed to be pulsing with a dark red aura.

Oddly enough, it was aiming the flashlight in hand right around the area where they were.

''What the-? It's like it knows we're here...'' Panther remarked.

''...I think I found out why, look.'' Queen pointed in the direction the guard came from, showing a blue camera around that area. ''We're far but it might have caught us coming in earlier. It must be different from the other cameras.''

''It looks like this one has a larger range too.'' Fox observed. ''From the way that guard acts, if it finds us, it could very well likely lead to many more shadows coming.''

As he said, the guard was clearly worked up. It seemed to be muttering to itself rather angrily as it carefully looked around the area.

''That's the last thing we need...'' Mona grimaced.

''Hmm...'' Joker walked to the window nearby, aiming her gun at the camera to her left before firing a bullet. As expected, the guard turned in that direction at once, heading off to the room where the camera was located.

''Now that's thinking on your feet, way to go, Joker!'' Panther smiled.

The girl smiled back ''Just doing all I can, come on, it's best if we don't stay now.''

''Right!''

* * *

They left the area after finding a route that took them to a tall platform, leading to the upper levels of the north hall. A blue pig was located near the entrance along with a couple of piggy banks.

This blue pig also had a torn page but the writing on it was different. (O+H=10)

Mona blinked ''Does this mean we'll have to find another of those things?''

''No, wait...wasn't there an H in one of the other pages we found?'' Skull recalled.

Realizing he was right, everyone stopped to search the items they gathered picking up the torn pages in question.

''Here it is.'' Fox piped up, lifting the page in hand. It had the writing (H=2) ''How does it help though?''

''Well...going by this...'' Queen began looking at the papers. ''...I know. It must be an 8.''

''Yeah, I've got an eight here.'' Panther showed her a paper.

''Good, that confirms it. Now if we put those together...The best word so far seems to be gold...I think I know the PIN code we need here.''

The group headed back to the room with the PIN reader and Queen proceeded to put in the numbers 1841. Fortunately, she was right and the locked door opened up.

''All right!''

* * *

The new path revealed a staircase that took them back to the elevator which lead to the basement. Remembering the locked areas from when they first began traveling about the Palace, Panther suggested that they head up to take a look.

This quickly proved to be for the best as the rooms they came across then were unlocked. And more importantly, the central elevator which had been inaccessible earlier was now usable. It had been something they passed early on but hadn't paid much mind to, now a closer look revealed that it could take them to the bank's higher floors.

''...What now?'' Fox asked the group at large.

''I say we keep going.'' Skull offered.

Mona rolled his eyes ''Of course, that's your answer.'' Ignoring the teen's dark look, the cat went on. ''Joker, what do you think?''

Joker answered after a few seconds ''...We've done plenty today. Let's not push ourselves too far. We're still not sure if we're any closer to the treasure though so I think take a quick look around to see where that elevator leads.''

''Sounds good.''

* * *

That call wound up paying dividends as not only was Mona able to sense the treasure soon after arriving in the new area, they also spotted Kaneshiro's shadow.

He didn't seem to be aware of the eyes on him, thankfully, being too busy counting some money on hand.

''Heh...this is more like it. I would've thought those would've learned by now, thinking they could take me on. Contacting that person to help dispose of the pathetic officer was a good call, he was such an idiot to try doing it for something so useless as family...''

Panther inhaled sharply ''...Does that mean...?''

Fox's eyes narrowed while Queen stared at their enemy in disgust ''...It looks like I was right in the worst way. Kaneshiro had something to do with that accident. He seems to be connected to the criminal you told me about. Just when you think he couldn't sink any lower...''

''Bastard...'' Skull hissed.

''We'll get him. For now, let's go back and get ready for the calling card.'' Mona told everyone.

* * *

 _And let's stop here._

 _I don't know why but plotting for this Palace was harder than the former two combined so I hope what I did here was okay. Honestly, a few things just came to me when I was looking over my plans so I sort of wound up combining them in the end._

 _Just to clear things up, the officer Kaneshiro mentioned had a family which were victims of a gang and when he learned Kaneshiro was related, he tried to do something about it alone. It wasn't in canon but I just had the idea and I wanted to try it out._

 _Anyway, as mentioned above, soon will be the calling card and taking Kaneshiro down. I won't jump into the next arc that quickly though, after that comes a little surprise I might have mentioned before. It's another twist from my own plot and it's going to have an impact on the story in general. I hope you like it when you see it. Thanks for reading my work and I hope you all have a Happy New Year!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 8)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 6)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 7)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 5)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 5)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 3)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 4)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 2)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 3)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_


	22. Chapter 22

Before coming to school, Namine had visited the Velvet Room to take care of a few things before their next visit to the Palace...

She stopped to check a few things in the persona compendium before deciding her next step. Since they had amassed a lot of money as planned from the Palace, she had found some help with her Personas. Also, she had easily been able to get the two Personas needed to fuse the Matador persona the twins had asked for earlier.

''So you've brought us another persona we've asked for.'' Caroline remarked, sensing the spirit just like her twin had. ''You're better than I thought, Inmate. I was thinking you'd give up straight away.''

Justine had a small smile ''It is to be expected of the human our master saw potential in.''

''Well, this has been useful so far. No reason to quit now.'' Namine returned.

''You're dedicated, I'll give you that. Just keep it up, all right?'' Caroline received a nod.

''That is a fine attitude to have.'' Justine remarked.

Caroline smirked. ''I've gotta say, Justine, it's an accomplishment that she hasn't thrown in the towel yet.''

''How so?''

''That task list you wrote. It's not only keeping her on her toes but helping her improve too.''

For some reason Justine was confused. ''Hmm? I am not the one who wrote it.'' Her twin was surprised. ''I had always thought it was you.''

''What?! I don't know anything about that!''

''...I suppose now that I consider it, that list is far too precise for you to have written it.''

''Quiet! You didn't need to say that!'' Caroline blinked. ''But wait? Who wrote it? It wasn't our Master, was it?''

''No, I have not heard him mention anything of the sort before...'' The girl's expression changed.

''Ah, is something wrong?'' Namine wondered, picking up on this.

''...Nothing for you to be concerned over.'' Justine answered after a moment.

''Why are you even still here?!'' Caroline added.

''You do realize I don't know how to leave this place just like that on my own, right? Besides, last I checked we were still talking.''

''Uhh...'' She was caught off by this.

''She has a point, Caroline.'' Justine stated.

''Don't agree with her!''

''At any rate, should we consult our master about this?''

''Hmm...I don't know. All our master told us is to oversee the rehabilitation and it's our duty to follow orders.'' Caroline said. ''We shouldn't waste his time on something this pointless.''

''...Indeed. It does not matter who thought of the list.''

''Don't think of prying, Inmate!'' Caroline warned.

''I wasn't going to...'' Namine assured, her expression darkening a little as she continued. ''...I know what it's like to have things you want to leave hidden.''

''I will l take your word for it. We will continue to offer benefits to you if you can further fulfill your tasks.'' Justine took over. ''All that we ask is that you work hard in the duty you are assigned.''

''You're helping me get stronger, which effectively means helping our work in the Metaverse so yeah, I'll do it.'' Namine returned.

''Very well. As promised, I have granted you an ability that will prove greatly beneficial.'' Justine stated. ''You may place a persona on lock down and have it learn new skills.''

''While you're lazing away, your persona will grow on its own, talk about hospitality!'' Caroline added. ''Anyway, time for your next task! According to the list, it's-uh...what was it, Justine?''

''A Flauros with Tarukaja.'' Was the response. ''Speak to us again once you have obtained it. Ah, one more thing. The next privilege will be of greater power therefore we require two tasks before we can hand it to you.''

* * *

While the class waited for the next teacher to come, Ann turned around in her seat to face Namine ''So we've all agreed to leave the calling card to Makoto, right?''

''Yup,'' Morgana returned, from his place in Namine's desk space. ''Which I find really good, considering that having Ryuji on his own is worrying for me...''

''Same here.'' Ann returned.

''You guys are harsh sometimes. It isn't like he did it do it before...'' Namine trailed off.

''Anyway, while we wait I want to make good use of our time...'' Ann went on. ''...can we go to the gym today? It'd be nice to get started on this.''

''Fine by me. I'll see with Ryuji...'' Namine held up her phone.

* * *

''It's pretty sweet, huh? Not too many people gettin' in your way. Anyways, uh...what're you tryin' to do here?'' Ryuji turned to face Ann, who had been looking around at the gym's machines.

''I want to slim down!'' Ann replied.

''Huh, you tried joggin'?''

''Aerobics alone aren't enough! I want to tone up too, so I need to start lifting weights.'' Ann stated. ''Plus my shoulders are drooping. I wanna make my biceps leaner and I need to straighten my back out.'' She missed the bewildered looks her friends shared. ''Obviously I want to cut down on my waist size too...and firm up my butt and calves.''

''You might want to take it slowly. There's no way you can get started on all of that today.'' Namine remarked.

''Exactly. One of the off chance that's wrong, you're gonna be sore as hell if you try.'' Ryuji added. ''Anyways, motivation's good'n' all but you're seriously gonna be in a lot of pain if you do all shit.''

''Then you come up with a training regiment for me.''

''Wh-what?!''

''If you do that, I'll go on a date with you as a reward.'' Ann smiled.

''Eff that.'' Ryuji retorted. ''Quit thinkin' you're some sexy character in an anime. It's sad watchin' you like this.''

''What?!''

''Ryuji!'' Namine gave him a look.

''But it's true! First off, one of them sexy characters'd never come to the gym in their PE uniform.''

''How am I supposed to know that?! I've never even been to a gym before!'' The girl was distracted by her ringing phone. ''Oh, it's my agency. Hi! Oh, yes. Definitely, Even a smaller article would be great!'' Her eyes widened. ''Huh...? It fell through? Yeah...Uh, I guess that's Okay...Mmhm...'' She hung up. ''...I was supposed to be in two magazines the month after net but apparently one cancelled on me. It was a black and white shoot, so they said I'd wouldn't stand out. It sounded like fun though. It was about the everyday life of models.''

''Guess you just gotta find somewhere else you do stand out then.'' Ryuji stated.

''Huh...there's gotta be somewhere my vibrant charm will shine, right?''

''You can find it.'' Namine nodded.

''Yeah!''

''Hey, speakin of magazines, there was a real pretty girl in that one you said you were starrin' in.'' Ryuji recalled. ''She's got this innocent vibe but she's sexy too. Now that's what real charm looks like to me.''

''Were there photos of me too?'' Ann inquired.

''Uh, yeah.''

''And did she have long brown hair?''

''Yup, that's the one! You know her, you gotta introduce me!''

Namine had a bad feeling ''Ah, Ryuji? That's...''

''...You dick!'' Ann cut in. ''Of all the girls you could've been talking about, it just had to be Mika! Ughh...I'm so pissed! Come in, which one of those machines, I'll break it.''

''Uh, all right...'' Ryuji uttered.

* * *

After quite a work out, the three were panting hard. ''My body hurts...'' Ann smiled. ''...but for some reason...I feel...satisfied...''

''That's what workin' hard feels like. Not bad, huh?'' Ryuji grinned.

''Yeah, that was actually...pretty fun.'' She returned. ''I think it was because the two of you were here with me. I had to prove I was working extra hard.''

''It's simple stuff like that that'll help you keep pushin'.''

Ann gave him an odd look ''...Did you really think that's cool?''

He deflated at Ann's words ''Hey, come on!''

''Easy on him. At least you know, having company makes it all the more engaging.'' Namine giggled at his expression.

''True...'' Both were distracted when his phone rang.

''...Crap, for real?'' Ryuji sighed as he hung up.''Mom forgot to buy stuff for dinner, so I guess I gotta head home now. See ya, girls.''

''Bye!''

''Ryuji just can't say no when his mom needs help, huh?'' Ann mused. ''...I'm actually a little jealous of their relationship. I mean even growing up, my parents were super busy. They always told me I was strong, that I'd be fine on my own. I was free but I was lonely...'' She looked away for a minute.

Namine blinked ''Ann?''

''Ah, sorry...I just had a thought, here I am talking about parents and you...'' The blonde trailed off, recalling her friend's terrible situation on that front. At least she got to talk to her parents every once in a while but Namine's parents seemed to have just stopped caring about her.

''...It's okay.'' The girl returned. Truth be told, she'd rather not think about it but that couldn't be helped sometimes. It hurt but she had enough time to learn to bear it.''There's no helping that, after all. Anyway, go on, what were you saying?''

''Right, right...I'd make friends but we moved a lot, and every time I had to start all over again. I actually got used to the loneliness. But that all changed once I met Shiho...the world seemed so hopeful...I need to show her that I'm working hard and that she doesn't need to worry so much about me.''

''Maybe she does know already...'' Namine trailed off.

''You think? I hope so. I want her to see how much I've learned.''

* * *

A little while later, Namine went to the underground mall, having heard of an opening in the flower shop. After talking to the owner, she readily had Namine do a little trial run to show her how she did things. Thanks to that and how Namine handled herself well enough, the owner was willing to offer her the part-time job.

It was around then that she received a text from Yoshida, telling her about another speech. This prompted the girl to go on and meet him...

''The conviction of a government is often tested during times of turmoil. However, the current administration refuses to discuss future plans. Can we really accept such an utter lack of transparency?!'' Yoshida asked the people observing him.

''I've been hearing about this type of criticsm about the government a lot lately.'' A woman said.

''That's because Diet member Shido has been gaining popularity by saying the same thing.'' Another observer said.

''So he's just echoing another politician's criticisms of the government?'' A third one asked.

''Apparently. Tch, whatever.'' The second returned.

''So first you stole party funds and now you're stealing ideas, No-Good Tora? Stop talking big, you ex-convict!'' A man snapped.

''Urgh...'' Yoshida winced. ''...it seems I've drawn the ire of the audience once again. So he's claiming that those who made mistakes in the past shouldn't get a second chance? What can I say to that...?''

Just when it seemed that the crowd was going to say more, a new voice cut in.

''Stop interrupting him! He's actually making a point, just listen!''

Yoshida stared at Namine in shock as she spoke up for him before the crowd...

''What was that? You got something to say to me, kid?!'' The man who had been telling Yoshida off demanded.

''Yes, stop already!''

He looked taken aback by her tone ''W-what's with this kid?''

But Namine wasn't finished ''Would you all please just let up on him for once? Everybody makes mistakes, it's what we do after that which really matters. So what if he was No-Good Tora?''

''Why you little brat...'' The man scowled.

To say Yoshida was moved would be undermining how he felt now. He thought there was one appropriate response here.

''...Yes, I am ''No Good Tora and I have made mistakes. Yes, I am unpopular and powerless. But that has nothing to do with my arguments! These are things I learned from all my hardships. You can ridicule me all you want but I will continue to oppose all what is wrong with the world!''

* * *

''Today's speech ended up being filled with a lot of passion. Quite unexpectedly, I might add.'' Yoshida remarked, smiling. ''The highlight though was your interference, Hyakuya-chan.''

''Ahh...'' Namine gave a sheepish laugh. ''...I couldn't help myself.''

Yoshida chuckled ''I envy you. Conveying your thoughts with such conviction. I wish I had done that in the past.''

''I'm just going by what I think is right...''

They were then approached by the man who was yelling at Yoshida before.

''You two are amazing...I've been wrong this whole time. Even though someone has failed in the past, it doesn't meant they can't try again. Th-that's all I wanted to say.''

''Please wait!'' Yoshida exclaimed. ''Thank you...that is all I wanted to say.''

''...You're a strange one, just like this girl.'' He left.

''I learned something from your dauntless spirit today, you truly came through. I have a bad habit of getting flustered whenever someone calls me No-Good Tora. But you see me as someone of value, so I refuse to cower to criticism in front of you.'' Yoshida stated. ''Today you taught me that I must have more confidence in my arguments.''

''Well I'm glad things are better now. Besides I more or less used some of the things you said before.'' Namine smiled.

Yoshida chuckled. ''My way of thinking changes when I'm with you. Perhaps it's the influence of your youthful spirit.'' He noticed the time on his watch. ''Ah, my apologies, it seems the time ran by. Good work today, I'll see you again soon.''

''Right.''

* * *

The next day after school, Namine went with Ryuji per the boy's request to the track team's old training spot. She immediately understood why upon seeing Nakaoka and Takeishi there, clearly waiting for him.

''So what is this about, Sakamoto?'' Takeishi demanded irritably. One glance at Nakaoka told them why that was so. ''I'm okay with you wanting to talk but why is he here?''

''That's 'cuz this has to do with both of you.'' Ryuji replied, taking out his phone. ''You need to hear this...''

Needless to say, the two were stunned with the recording. Nakaoka spoke once it was done ''Is this for real?''

''It's Yamauchi's voice, you know? An on top of that, shit's gone down just like he said.'' Ryuji replied.

Takeishi looked down ''...Yamauchi's right, I don't have talent...I'm not like you guys. I ran so damn hard but you two were always so far ahead...How's a guy like me supposed to succeed? How am I supposed to be proud of myself?!''

''Proud?'' Ryuji wondered.

''My dad always talks about how proud he is of his son...'' The boy started. ''...he told everyone I'd get a track scholarship like he did. That I'd follow in his footsteps as a second generation Taisei grad...That's why I listened to Yamauchi. He said if I was the captain, he'd write me a great letter of recommendation...''

This situation was looking a bit familiar...''Are you satisified with that, Takeishi-san?'' Namine found herself thinking of Makoto, who had told her how Kobayakawa had promised to help her get into a college of her choosing if she succeeded in her investigation. ''Later on, if you look back at these times, can you say you did what was for the best? Ryuji told me he talked to your old team captain, even he knows Yamauchi's rotten. It's kind of hard to think you don't.'' Takeishi proved her suspicion true when he looked away. ''Can you be happy knowing you played along with this guy?''

''T-that's...'' The boy trailed off.

''You know she's on to something.'' Ryuji stated, Takeishi's silence confirmed that. ''To top it off, you trusted what he was saying about cause of stupid crap like that?''

''Sh-shut up!'' Takeishi cried. ''What does a thug like you know?! You couldn't know how I feel...no body does!''

''Like hell I don't!'' Ryuji retorted. ''How long were we runnin' together, huh?! I went through all sorts of shit with you!''

''Sakamoto...'' The boy looked surprised.

''Who're you livin' your life for? Your parents? Teachers? Society?'' Ryuji went on. ''Maybe you should stop trying to live for them and just try living for yourself. You think you gotta betray people to be proud?'' The boy stuttered. ''If that's seriously what you think, you're wrong!'' He looked at Nakaoka. ''You knew something was up with Yamauchi too, right? I mean the bastard never been interested in track before...But you kept quiet. You knew he was walking all over you and you just let him do it.''

''...Yeah.'' The boy admitted. ''I was afraid...without Yamauchi, we still wouldn't have a team, or a place to belong.''

''You missed runnin' that bad? Y' know...it ain't so scary not havin' a place where you belong. You can be free that way.'' Ryuji stated. ''If anything, I'm more scared of bein' a crappy person. I mean, I used to be like you guys...afraid, lyin' to myself...before I met Namine.'' The girl looked at him in surprise, seeing him nod back. ''I don't wanna insult you guys or nothin', but I know you're prolly pissed about all this...So, if you wanna hit me or something, go right ahead, I'm ready.''

Namine raised an eye ''Are you sure about this?''

But Nakaoka and Takeishi were willing to take the offer.

''In that case...''

''If you insist...''

Ryuji looked alarmed ''Huh?! You're really doin' it?!'''

''You said it's okay.'' Nakaoka pointed out.

''W-wait, hold on!''

Ryuji groaned after they punched him a few times ''Oww...I thought we were talkin' one punch or something...''

''No complaining. This was your idea.'' Nakaoka reminded. ''But hey, it did help, I feel better about this whole thing.''

''Same here, it's like I can really put it behind me.'' Takeishi admitted.

A puzzled Namine looked between the three ''That's good.'' She couldn't help but wonder why Ryuji would suggest this in the first place. ''Erm, is this some guy thing? I'm kind of out of the loop here...''

''Yeah, you can call it that.'' Nakaoka chuckled. ''Anyway...I'm sorry, Takeishi.''

''I'm sorry too, so you wanna bring the team back?''

''Hell yeah, and we'll do it right for sure!''

Unexpected turnout aside, it looked like Ryuji's efforts had paid off and he had gotten through to them. Namine began to smile at the thought as she noticed the two boys taking their leave ''Good luck!''

Nakaoka gave a slight wave in acknowledgement while Takeishi nodded before they kept walking, soon disappearing out of view.

Ryuji stood ''...They're prolly feelin' way better now. I think they're gonna be just fine together...Thanks, Namine.''

''Well, it's not like I did much.''

''Nah, you're underestimating yourself, you were a big help. You were pushin' me to be cool that whole time. It's kinda like I was doin' a sprint...and you were runnin' next to me.'' Ryuji stated.

Namine returned his smile ''We've got a team of our own here, that's just what we do.''

''Damn straight!'' The two began taking their leave. ''So anyway, I told Makoto I'd meet up with her once we finished here. It sounded like she figured something out for the calling card.''

''Really? We'll be waiting for news then.''

Ryuji nodded ''Thanks again. Later!''

* * *

On the way back, Namine was contacted by Ohya. Since they had explained everything to Mishima a few days ago, the boy agreed to give the journalist her interview. There hadn't been much news in her text but she had mentioned something about a deal she wanted to strike.

''...You know, this might be good for the Phantom Thieves.'' Morgana mused. ''Having someone well-connected to the media has already proven useful, let's see what she wants.''

Namine nodded back and headed to another train...

* * *

Lala paused in surprise ''Oh, it's you...what, did Ichiko-chan contact you again?''

''Yeah, she said she wants to discuss something...'' Namine looked around. ''...is she here?''

''In the back.'' Lala gestured to the furthest seats. ''No wonder it looked like she was waiting for something...just to make sure you remember, I don't allow underage drinking.''

''I remember.'' The girl assured. ''For now, I just want to see what this is all about.''

''Fair enough. Go on then.''

Ohya was indeed in the indicated area. She had been looking enjoying a drink when she spotted Namine ''You came, great!'' The girl sat opposite her and she continued. ''So that kid you sent over had plenty of info, it was a big help. If what I picked up from the boy was true, you seem plenty of info about the Phantom Thieves. That got me thinking, care to share this info with me? I could really use it for business.''

''So that's what you had in mind.'' Lala walked over. ''You're going to use her for your articles?''

''It's not as bad as you make it out to be, Lala-chan. Kids these days know things we adult can't access. Besides, what's most important is that I have a reliable source third party source for my stories. This is a shot for my own golden goose!''

''Shouldn't you be getting her response first?''

''Right, right...'' The journalist looked at Namine. ''...well, kid?''

The burgundy haired girl thought it over. This didn't seem like a bad idea, it would help make sure that people would hear the truth about them. And like Morgana said, having someone with Ohya's connections could help the team.

''So...basically, I give you the details I know and you use that for articles?''

Ohya nodded at the summary, hearing the girl go on ''All right, I'll do it.''

''Just like that?'' Lala wondered.

''Yup, why not?'' Namine returned. ''It'd be nice to see the truth about the Phantom Thieves spread out.''

Ohya tilted her head a little ''I've been wondering...you really support them, huh? I've heard of people who do, but there are others who are torn and some who just don't like 'em.''

''Well yeah, things are turning up after what they've done. You two have heard the news about Kamoshida, right? And you do realize he's been hurting people for over a year at least? Including my friends.''

''Ah.'' Lala hummed in understanding.

Ohya nodded a little ''Makes sense. I bet the kids in your school are real glad to be shot of the guy, huh?''

''Definitely.'' Namine replied. ''There's no reason not to root for them.''

''That's fair. And I suppose your friends share that opinion?'' Lala inquired, seeing the girl nod then.

''So that's what this is about. You want to find them some positive PR?'' Ohya wondered

Namine nodded ''Honestly, it never crossed my mind until we met you but since the chance is there, I'm taking it.''

She smirked ''All righty, sounds good! You just hand me the info and I'll write up articles about the Phantom Thieves you love-oh-so much!''

 _I am_ _ **thou,**_ _thou art I..._

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity,_

 _With the birth of the_ _ **Devil**_ _Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

It turned out that Ryuji had been right. While Namine was meeting with Ohya, he and Makoto had cooperated to spread the calling cards she had prepared all over Shibuya. Her reasoning was that since Kaneshiro's network of operations was so wide-spread, he was bound to see it.

Agreeing that they should not trust his word with the deal, the Phantom Thieves were all for the option to deal with the loan shark sooner than later and avoid any risk.

As luck would have it, Makoto's scheme quickly took effect. Many had learned of the calling card soon enough, including Kaneshiro's goons. One of whom was quick to take the card to the man when he saw it the next morning...

''Excuse me, sir but...'' He faltered. ''...uh I found this on the car. There's something written on it...''

''Hm? Read it.'' Kaneshiro ordered.

''...Sir Kaneshiro Junya, the money devouring sinner of gluttony...You indulge in scamming others with horrendous methods that target minors exclusively. We have all decided to make your confess your crimes with your own mouth. We will take your distorted desires without fail. From the Phantom Thieves...'' The man paused. ''...isn't that bad...?''

''What of it?'' Kaneshiro returned.

''I-if something happened to you...! I mean if the higher ups found out about this...''

He remained unfazed ''Don't waste your time worrying about this useless shit. Just keep quiet for now.''

''B-but it's...posted all around the city...People're talking about it online too...''

''Grr...All of you bring me your earnings! If you don't surpass your quota...I'll kill you.''

''Y-yes sir...'' He left.

Like with Madarame and Kamoshida, something in the air shifted and Shadow Kaneshiro appeared.

''Phantom Thieves...?'' He sneered. ''Don't make me laugh.''

* * *

The team had stopped in Shibuya to ensure that the calling card was effective, and indeed it was. The street they passed was buzzing with activity and chatter as people tried to figure out what was going on.

Once they found an empty alley, they entered the Metaverse and returned to Kaneshiro's Palace. They hurried to the second floor where they Kaneshiro's shadow before, only to find a surprise in store...

Their target was waiting for them in front of a safe, which had definitely not been there last time.

''I knew you were coming...'' The shadow stated. ''...looks like you pathetic brats have quite the luck to make it this far.''

Skull scoffed ''Keep telling yourself that, bastard! We're going to change your heart for all the people you've hurt.''

''Hmph. Those on top get what they want and those on the bottom suffer.'' Shadow Kaneshiro stated. ''This is just how the world works. Quit wasting my time and go earn me some money.''

''That's not happening.'' Fox stated.

''Yeah, you're crazy if you think we're going to listen to any of that!'' Panther added.

''It's been rough on me too, you know. I suffered because of people in power, now it's my turn to enjoy that power.'' He returned.

''You think that justifies what you're doing? Two wrongs don't make a right.'' Joker stated.

''Yeah, you're nothing but a sad coward.'' Queen crossed her arms.

''Nothing you say will change our goal, we're going to stop you here!'' Mona declared.

Shadow Kaneshiro laughed ''...Please, you're all just pathetic. The means don't matter one bit, only the ends do. I'm going to show you your place...There's not a snowball's chance in hell that a bright future lies ahead for you!''

He was surrounded in a sphere of dark energy a moment later. When it faded, it revealed him to be larger, with bug like characteristics like compound eyes and even insect wings.

''Eat this!'' He sent out a volley of Maeiga at the party, leaving them to defend.

Being the least affected due to her own Persona's element, Joker shook the attack off quickly and willed her mask to shift to summon a particular spirit. ''Orthrus, Matarukaja!''

The dog like persona howled, surrounding them all in a wave of energy that empowered them. Fox and Mona attacked then, slashing at the enemy with their blades.

Skull summoned his Persona ''Zionga!''

Captain Kidd flew up, summoning a powerful bolt of lightning that left the enemy to cry out.

''Y-yeh goddamn punks...!'' He took out a small sphere and threw it at Fox and Mona, creating a cloud of gas. While it seemed harmless, the effect quickly took as the two fell to their knees.

''W-what is this?'' Fox grimaced. ''I-I can't...''

''Like my Fear Gas?'' Shadow Kaneshiro attacked them both before chuckling. ''That's a good look for you.''

Queen's eyes narrowed ''...You won't be laughing for long. Johanna!'' She rode on her Persona. ''Energy Shower!'' The two were bathed in a glittering blue light, leaving them feeling better as the overwhelming sense of fear disappeared.

''Thanks, Queen!'' Mona smiled.

Shadow Kaneshiro scowled ''Fine then, you...'' He conjured a blast of magic to strike, only to be forced to defend as Panther began firing a round of bullets at him. This gave Queen ample time to blast him with a Freila spell, leaving him reeling.

Joker and Skull attacked together, dodging just in time as the enemy countered. Mona had Zorro blast Shadow Kaneshiro with a Garula. Joker summoned Nue and had it blast the shadow with curse magic, only for the shadow loan shark to fall down with a loud cry of pain, leaving them to conclude that they had found a weakness. The group of six launched an All Out Attack, taking the opportunity at once.

''Gyaaah!'' Shadow Kaneshiro crashed down. ''T-the hell...?'' He began to stand. ''Y-you punks are tougher than you look...!''

He proceeded to use Maeiga again, but this quickly turned out to be a distraction as he ran to the safe and pressed a button on the side. Suddenly it opened, revealing a huge metal sphere which rolled out. Its parts shifted a little, forming a face and little legs, making look like a pig.

''Okay, this is really forming into a stupid theme...he's actually got a giant pig?!'' Mona exclaimed.

''This ain't no pig!'' Shadow Kaneshiro snapped. ''It's my souped up guard robot, Piggytron! Goin' against me's a real bad crime, yeh know? It's time for yeh all to go to hell!''

At those words, the robot fired a barrage of missiles, leaving the party to do their best to get out of the way. The scale was so wide-spread though that the attempts failed, leaving them to fall down. Piggytron unleashed a wave of energy next and caused more damage. Skull and Queen ran to attack Kaneshiro before he could attack again but the shadow jumped to a hole in Piggytron to hide and the hole closed up.

''Persona!'' Queen stepped up. ''Freila.''

''Phoenix, Freila!'' Joker summoned a bird-like persona that flew up behind Johanna and the two nuclear spells combined to form a more powerful one the almost blew the robot back.

''Captain Kidd, Bad Beat!'' Skull ordered. The rest attacked with their Persona's respective elemental magic from different sides.

''Yo-yo-yo, that doesn't hurt a bit, yo!'' Suddenly, Piggytron spun around, releasing a wave of gas similar to what Shadow Kaneshiro used earlier. Picking up on this, they tried to get away but it was too close. Panther, Joker and Mona, who were the closest to where the wave started were affected first and he went on to have the robot unleash an energy wave.

As Queen made to help them, Shadow Kaneshiro had Piggytron fire a laser at her. ''I'll finish you all off-yo!''

''I am thou.'' Fox summoned Goemon. ''Rising Slash!''

''Time for a Rampage, Captain Kidd!'' Skull added.

The two strikes hit Piggytron on the same side, tilting it somewhat. Shadow Kaneshiro scoffed ''It's no good, yo! Yer not gonna make any difference, yo!''

''That's what you think!'' They attacked in tandem with their Personas again.

A moment later, Orthrus and Carmen appeared, combining their flames to strike Piggytron together.

''What the-?!'' Shadow Kaneshiro as the group got together, seeing Queen observing the scene with a growing smirk. ''You little-! Fine, I'll deal with y'all the same, yo! Taste my Missile Party!''

With that, Piggytron fired another barrage of missiles towards the party. Skull had an idea ''Let's try this, blast away, Captain!''

Captain Kidd aimed his cannon, firing a lightning blast that destroyed a number of the missiles a moment later.

''Nice, Skull! Carmen, Agilao!'' Panther went next.

''You're wastin' my time, yo! I'll wrap this up!'' The enemy's declaration was followed by a strange sight. Piggytron suddenly leaned on a side and its hatch opened, before Shadow Kaneshiro came out.

''Anyone who defies me yo, gets the old heave-ho, yo! Imma ter yeh all to shreds, Go Piggytron! Super VIP Fooorm!'' Piggytron began to spin with increasing speed.

''Goemon, Mabufu!'' Fox ordered, leaving the enemy to cry out as the blast of ice hit his side. Mona followed up by having Zorro cast wind magic to knock the shadow down but Shadow Kaneshiro just barely managed to grab on to the hatch in time. He proceeds to have Piggytron roll towards them fast, forcing them to get out of the way but it immediately turned back to keep attacking.

Skull cursed as they were forced to avoid Piggytron again, only for it to resume the spinning ''Is he just gonna keep this up?!''

Joker had an idea ''...We can do something about that. Fox, I need your help...'' She quickly explained her plan, leaving them surprised.

''Ah, I see...very well then.''

The two proceeded to summon Nue and Goemon before the first Persona wrecked a part of the floor and made it so that area would be raised up. Goemon proceeded to cover it with a thick sheet of ice, creating a make-shift ramp.

And just in time, as Piggytron was coming back. Joker's eyes narrowed and she looked at Queen, who was waiting on Johanna. ''Let's begin.''

''Right!'' She sped off towards the robot's path.

Shadow Kaneshiro watched her for a moment. ''Dunno what yer doing but it ain't makin' no difference, yo! Yer all goin' down, yo!''

''Perfect...'' Queen gave a small smile, he had reacted just how they guessed he would.

She stopped just before the ramp, speeding off the second Piggytron came close. As they hoped, the machine rolled off the ramp and into the air, leaving Shadow Kaneshiro to cry out in surprise as the robot crashed down and he fell a moment later. The party wasted no time in attacking him, some up directly while others used skills from their Personas, causing a lot of damage.

''D-dammit! I ain't losin' yo!'' He scrambled away back to Piggytron, much to general dismay.

''We've got to get him out of this thing!'' Panther scowled.

''How though? I don't think we can try Joker's idea again...'' Mona trailed off.

''...I think I know.'' Queen admitted, looking at the vault then. ''We can use the very Palace against him. He's obsessed with money, right? Let's use that to lure him out.''

''Good idea.'' Joker said.

''Yeah, let's go for it!'' Mona agreed.

Just as Shadow Kaneshiro was about attack, he saw Skull and Queen summon their Personas but instead of attacking him they blasted holes in the vault. This caused the money he had stored to begin flowing out, he yelped.

''Stop!''

''Oh, we're just getting started!'' Panther stated. ''Carmen, burn it all up!''

The Persona smirked 'As you wish.'

He cried out in dismay, which increased as Mona had Zorro tear up more money with blades of wind magic. The feline thief smirked as Shadow Kaneshiro came running out, declaring that he won't let them do what they wanted with his money.

''There we go...''

He made to blast them with Maeiha only to be forced to stop when Fox began to shoot at him. Queen used a Flash Bomb next while Skull had Captain Kidd try another Bad Beat, leaving the shadow reeling. Joker called on Nue, having it attack with its own curse magic, which was very effective as it knocked Shadow Kaneshiro down.

''Let's go!'' The group of six unleashed a second All Out Attack, piling up to the rising damage. Queen landed a final punch that sent the enemy crashing to the ground and ending the fight.

* * *

''We did it!'' Panther beamed.

''Hell yeah, was there any doubt?!'' Skull grinned while the rest exchanged looks and smiled.

It didn't take them long to spot Shadow Kaneshiro, now having reverted to his old form, as he was crawling towards some money near him.

''Hold it right there!'' Queen glared down at him.

''I won't let it anyone have it...'' He uttered. ''...this is my money...''

''That's some nerve you've got!'' Mona frowned.

''Yeah, You stole it all from innocent people!'' Queen reminded.

''Fine, I'll call off the debt...'' He trailed off.

''Fine? You're still soundin' pretty condescendin'.'' Skull pointed out.

''You're right...'' Shadow Kaneshiro sighed miserably. ''...I'm a poor, ugly...idiot...How am I supposed to live a normal like this...? It's all because of our society! Weak people can't lead a happy life, no matter what they do! I'm a victim too, you know?! Yeah, none of this is my fault!''

''The more you talk, the more pathetic you sound.'' Fox stated.

''I just wanted a place where I could belong! You get that, don't you?!''

''Bullshit! All you did was surround yourself with people you could use, solely for some easy money!'' Panther countered.

''And you think you're the only one's who's gotta deal with bein' labeled...?'' Skull added. ''Me...and these guys...we're all fightin' against that!''

''It no excuse at all, you've just been hurting people for so long.'' Joker stated.

''But don't worry, you'll finally have a place to belong. Somewhere you can make amends for the rest of your life.'' Queen remarked.

''We're gonna do something about that distorted heart of yours...Free of charge.'' Skull stated.

''...Seriously? You guys don't have any tact. Especially with all that power...These Palaces could net you loads of cash! You could do whatever you wanted to people's hearts!'' Shadow Kaneshiro pointed out.

''That's not what we're about at all.'' Joker retorted.

''We're not like you!'' Skull snapped.

The shadow chuckled ''Where do you find meaning in that naive sense of justice...? You know, there's someone out there taking full advantage of what Palaces have to offer...''

''We know about that. He's the same one you hired to cause that accident.'' Fox cut in.

Queen's anger as she recalled what she tried to dig up after the accident ''You're despicable. Acting so high and mighty...that officer was just trying to do what was right for his family.''

''You're not getting away with this. Who is that criminal?'' Joker demanded.

''I don't know and I wouldn't want to. I just made use of his services. They're powerful enough to use other people's Palaces to accomplish whatever they damn well please. They don't care about consequences, psychotic breakdowns, mental shutdowns...anything goes.''

''Spill it! Who're you talkin' about?'' Skull demanded.

''Don't even bother, you're nothing compared to them...Better be careful...A chance encounter with them could prove fatal...'' Shadow Kaneshiro faded with one last dark chuckle.

''Damn...''

Mona wasn't any less displeased with the lack of answers but he knew they had other things to deal with. ''There's no helping it, come on, we need to get the treasure and leave.''

''Where is it?'' Panther saw him turn in its direction. ''Oh...''

Mona mewled at the sight of all the gold ''T-treasure...''

Most of the group knew what that look meant at once.

''Here we go again...'' Panther sighed.

''Again? You're saying this is normal?!'' Queen looked incredulous.

''This is sooooo cooooool! Woooooweee, being a human is greattttttt! It's...it's...it's shiny's shiny golddd!'' Mona grabbed some gold gleefully.

'Who knew it was possible? He's actually getting worse.' Captain Kidd remarked, Skull nodded to this while Joker sighed.

''But why exactly...?'' Fox started. Mona confused them more when he jumped up and landed on Panther's face, leaving her to try to make him get off.

''Okay, Mona, come on...'' Joker patted his back, figuring this approach wouldn't hurt.

Just then, a sort of faint light emanated from her hand. Fox was the first to pick up on this but the light faded before he could bring it to the others' attention, much to his confusion. _'What in the world...?'_

After a few moments, the cat relaxed as she picked him up. ''That feels nice!''

''How did you do that?'' Skull asked.

''No idea...'' Their leader admitted, looking bewildered. ''...anyway, Mona, you can look at the treasure all you want later. We need to move now.''

''Right, Joker. Sorry!'' He transformed and they picked up the treasure before getting in the bus...

* * *

Fortunately, they were able to leave the Palace just as it began to fall apart, giving them good time to leave without too much trouble.

''We made it...''

Makoto looked out at the street from the alley ''Looks like we were right to choose this place, no one's seen a thing.''

''That's good but perhaps we should be go soon, let's not risk bringing any attention to ourselves. We do need a place to open the treasure as well.'' Yusuke pointed out, lifting the golden suitcase in his hand.

''Hey, we could try Leblanc!'' Morgana suggested. ''The chief said he was going to be out for a while by the time we left, it should be easy.''

Namine nodded ''Good thinking, Morgana. Let's go then.''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here..._

 _I hope the chapter was good. The boss fight was kind of a pain to work, my sympathies to the people who had to deal with it all in the game. Dealing with that rapper accent got annoying real fast...Anyway, I hope you like what I'm doing here. Next comes more of the aftermath of the Palace and some day to day stuff, as you might have guessed. Once I get that sorted, I'll be launching one of my original twists to the plot before I wrap it up and start the next one._

 _That last bit with Joker and that light in the Palace is an idea I had back when I first started working on this story and read up on the Persona 5 world. Its meaning is going to become clear in the next arc, I just want to set up for it here._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 6)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 5)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 5)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 3)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 5)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 3)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 3)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 1)_


	23. Chapter 23

Fortunately, it turned out that Morgana was right and Sojiro had yet to return to Leblanc. This allowed the group to make their way quickly to Namine's room...

''We totally pulled it off!'' Ryuji enthused. ''I can't wait till Kaneshiro comes clean.''

''It might be a while though, don't hold your breath.'' Morgana stated.

Makoto looked curious ''How are you sure?''

''The change of heart doesn't happen at once. What we do in the Metaverse needs time to take full effect.'' The cat explained. ''Going from previous experience, there's a chance Kaneshiro will come clean in the deadline he set for us.''

Ann blinked ''Hey, you're right! Madarame confessed at that conference and Kamoshida did at the rally...so Kaneshiro will have the change of heart on July ninth?''

''Most likely. I think it depends on the person too.''

''Oh, come on...'' The two looked at Ryuji, who was standing with Namine and Yusuke as they kept trying to open the briefcase they picked up in the Palace.

''No luck, huh?'' Morgana tilted his head.

''None...it's sealed by a rotary lock. We'll need the combination to open it.'' Yusuke replied.

Makoto eyed the item closely ''Let me try...'' She fiddled with the item a bit, succesfully taking care of the lock then.

''How'd you get it?'' Namine wanted to know.

''I simply memorized the combination. I saw him open and close it so many times after all.''

''W-well, that's scary...but amazin' too!'' Ryuji exclaimed before opening the case, revealing it to be loaded with stacks of money. ''Daaaamn! H-how much is that?!''

''I believe one stack is a million yen.'' Yusuke stated after examining it.

Ann's eyes widened ''One...but there's thirty in this?!''

''Thirty million yen...even after splitting it...we still get five million each...'' Makoto noted.

''Whoa...'' Namine trailed off.

''Holy shit...'' Ryuji smiled. ''...it's gonna be deluxe pork soup combo from now on!''

''You have to think bigger! Using it on just food is such a waste.'' Ann returned.

''What, you got your own already?''

The girl made to respond but then Yusuke spoke ''I'd hate to bring down the mood but something about this money isn't right.''

Makoto raised an eye and picked up a stack, understanding moments later ''Wait, he's right...look, it's children's bank money.''

''What?!'' The two blondes cried.

''I don't get it...Kaneshiro was just protecting a fake this whole time?'' Namine wondered.

''Seems like it.'' Yusuke stated.

''Nooo!'' Ryuji wailed.

''Actually...'' Morgana squinted a little. ''...I think we may be able to sell the briefcase for our reward. Looks like it made from solid gold.''

''That's great news!'' Ann exclaimed.

Makoto nodded a little ''Well then, it's settled...''

''By the way, Morgana, have any of your memories returned?'' Yusuke inquired.

''No, not at all...''

''What, still?'' Ryuji cocked his head, the cat's eyes glanced down for a moment but he didn't respond.

''Morgana has amnesia?'' Makoto clarified.

''Something like that, he does remember looking for treasures though.'' Ann offered.

''Hm...I hope your memories return soon.'' The brunette told the cat.

Namine patted his head ''It can't be easy but just wait, okay? You'll figure it out, we'll help.''

''I know...'' Morgana returned. ''...I can't help but think about what Kaneshiro said.''

''About that criminal right?'' Ann guessed correctly.

''That's bothering me as well, he even hired that person to make use of a mental shutdown.'' Yusuke frowned.

''Exactly...it all makes me wonder who the criminal could be. It all sounds like they have a lot of experience with the Metaverse...''

Makoto thought that over ''Going by what we heard back there, you make a good point.''

''No point mullin' it over now. Let's wait and see how Kaneshiro's change of heart goes first.'' Ryuji suggested. ''We should prolly just lay low for a while.''

''I never thought I'd hear those words coming from you.'' Makoto said with amusement.

''It's a good idea though. Let's go with that.'' Namine chipped in.

* * *

With that settled, the group hung out for a bit before going there seperate ways as it was getting late. Namine and Morgana had also prepared to turn in for the night...

''Morgana?''

The cat blinked and looked up in time to find Namine sitting next to him. ''Are you okay? You've been really quiet...''

''I've got a lot on my mind, I guess.'' Morgana replied. ''I know it's best not to dwell on stuff but it's also hard not to think about think about things like my memories. But if only it were that...it's like you and Lady Ann were saying back in school, the whole reason we became phantom thieves is that we decided to help people when no one else would. Our targets were all evil...They hurt and exploited others just to satisfy their desires...Still, there were people around who noticed their terrible deeds, right? I wonder why they turned a blind eye. Why doesn't anyone help?''

''I wondered about that myself.'' The burgundy haired girl admitted. ''What with us trying to get info from the students before and all...I guess they just think it's the easy way out. It seems apathetic but I'd have to say they're all too scared.''

''So it's because they don't have the courage.'' Morgana frowned. ''Humans...are so weak. Namine, do you think I'll really be able to become a human?...I really may not be human.''

Namine gave him a quizzical look ''It's the first time I hear that. Where'd it come from?''

''See, back when I touched that treasure...'' The feline hesitated. ''...it's like I remembered but...I'm also not sure...''

''Huh, I guess the fact that we were in such a hurry doesn't help...well, I know I said that before but try to be patient. It's normal to think on stuff like this but too much isn't good for you. For what it's worth, I think you're human.''

''Really?'' The cat considered. ''I guess so...I gotta be! After all, I am the core of the Phantom Thieves.''

Namine laughed a bit ''See, there's that old confidence.''

''Hehe, true.'' Morgana sat back. ''Thanks! Come on, it's not good for you to stay up this late. Let's go to sleep.''

* * *

Namine hadn't quite realized that she had fallen asleep until she found herself in the Velvet Room later that night.

''There you are, Inmate. Our master wishes to speak with you. Heed his words!'' Caroline commanded.

Igor chuckled ''You've defeated the repulsive fiend of gluttony this time, well done. I am glad to see that you have devoted yourself to your rehabilitation.''

''You are not worthy of such kind words, Inmate...I suggest you treasure them.'' Justine advised.

The girl didn't think the words were particularly kind but she decided to ignore the thought in favor of something more important. ''...I know you said our paths could cross with that criminal...It looks like he's still going about in the Metaverse and I find it hard to believe that Kaneshiro was the only one who hired him.''

''I concur, he is another with powers that could very well match yours. If you are to complete your rehabilitation, you may encounter him eventually...'' Igor returned. ''I shall grant you an ability befitting of your newfound growth. Consider it a gift. It would be best for you to strengthen your abilities.''

''Right, thanks...''

* * *

The next morning...

''So now it's back to regular old life.'' Morgana remarked.

''Of course by that you mean the closest thing we can get to it.''

Namine's addition had him snickering as they headed out ''True...''

The group got together during lunch at Shujin, which was when everyone learned that Makoto had been contacted by Kaneshiro. Apparently, not only had he deleted the pictures and handed himself in. He was taken into custody by Sae's team. Since he was a part of the mafia, his confession was easily likely to get him killed.

''Does this mean he'll come clean soon?'' Ryuji wondered.

''Doubtful.'' Makoto replied. ''I'd say the police would be really interrogate him. He'll have a lot to say.''

''That's for sure.'' Namine nodded. ''Well, confession or not, it's nice to know that this is really over.''

''You said it. We can really put everything behind us now!'' Ann smiled. ''So I was wondering...I know we'll get to the party once Kaneshiro comes out with the truth but where would you like to celebrate our success, girls?''

The two shared a glance as they begin to think that over before Ryuji spoke ''Hey, come you're just askin' them?''

''Considering what you said yesterday, it didn't sound like you had much of a clue. I mean, come on, using your share for some ramen?''

''I didn't say we should celebrate with that! It was just an idea...''

''Well, let's hear it then.''

''At least I'll have a better thing, you probably just want to go for a buffet!''

Morgana rolled his eyes as they watched the two squabble ''Good grief...the worst part is, I get the feeling they're both right.''

''Well, I guess they do know each other that well.'' Makoto remarked while Namine seemed amused.

* * *

After school, Namine went to the movies to meet with Yusuke at his request and waited for the boy to arrive...

''So he's trying to reinvent himself...'' Morgana concluded when his companion told him about the situation with the artist. ''...that would be understandable. Does coming here help?''

''Well, he thinks it does, I guess...'' Namine trailed off upon noticing Yusuke making his way through the crowd before she began to wave him over. ''...hey, over here!'

''Hello, you two. My apologies. I got off my train one startion early to save money but it must have made me late.''

''Don't worry, let's go.'' Namine returned.

* * *

''...Talk about over the top...'' Morgana remarked as they kept watching the movie. ''...sheesh, a few of those characters really need to ease up.''

''I think that has to do with what the movie maker's getting at...'' Namine trailed off. ''...at least Yusuke's definitely into it.''

''You said it. I can't see why he would be though...''

The movie ended after a while and everyone cleared out of the hall. Yusuke proved that he really had been enjoying himself quickly ''The amount of artistry and effort they put into the stage set...it's truly astounding! Oh, forgive me. I can't help but focus more on the visual aspect than the storyline.''

That cleared things up for Morgana ''Now that explains it...''

''Hey, it's fine. That sounds like something you'd do.'' Namine waved it off.

''Thanks. Well, I already understand that you're not the type to feel offended by such matters. Thank you for today. The time we spent together felt worthwhile. Well, let's head home.''

* * *

Later on, at Leblanc...

''So this is what you were up to, huh?''

Namine started at Sojiro's voice, turning around to him watching from the kitchen's entrance. ''I wondered what you bought all that stuff for.'' He glanced at the cookbook she had open on one side before his eyes fell on the bowl which she had been stirring in. ''You're interested in cooking?''

''Kind of. I actually started working on recipes just a little before the night I was arrested. I saw this book from when I was working in the supermarket and I figured I could try getting into this again...Of course, I know just somewhat over the basic recipes so...''

''Nothing wrong with that.'' He remarked, thinking that it was a good use for her time. ''Everyone's gotta start somewhere, so how's this going?''

''I think it's okay...do you want a taste after I'm done, Boss?''

''Sure, why not? Might as well find out the end result.''

* * *

A couple of days later...

Makoto had arrived in Leblanc, looking to talk to Namine and asked her to go for a walk together.

''So what's up?'' Namine inquired.

''I guess you can say I've been thinking about many things lately...'' Makoto started. ''...After all that's happened, I couldn't help but wonder...Johanna really opened my eyes. I believe I've been handling my position as student council president with ease as well. N-not that I mean to boast, but it's just how I thought about it.''

''Thought, like past tense?'' Namine clarified.

''Right, but in the end...Ann was right. I couldn't make any impact with Suzui-san or Kaneshiro...or even with you.'' The girl stated. ''Looking back, I just stood back and did nothing...if you hadn't been there. I don't even want to think how poor Suzui-san would've ended up. It still irritates me that the teachers just seemed to push this aside...but yet I did nothing.'' She lowered her head. ''Then what I did with you...there's no excuse. Turns out there's no use for a rule abiding honor student when things get rough.''

''I wouldn't go that far...'' Namine started. To be fair, things were bad before but still... ''...you really did help us out before, you're changing now.''

''I would hope so but thank you for the kind words...'' Makoto's expression turned determined. ''...now that I'm a member of this team, I want to do everything in my power to help you all. All my studying up to this point, has kept me narrow minded. I think...I need to broaden my horizons somewhat.''

''There you go.''

Makoto blinked, giving her a quizzical look.

''That's what I meant before. I know how you feel, awakening to Arsene really changed my perspective too. This is something I noticed a while after we started going into the Metaverse. You know something isn't right, that there's something you can't accept, so you want that to stop. Realizing the issue is the first step to changing, is what I think. Our Personas helped us start on that track.''

''...You do have a point.'' Makoto's lips twitched. ''That's quite the point of view. My first step will be to learn more about the other students. But...I still struggle with that...There seems to be a disparity between my tastes and those of my peers.''

''Well, everyone has different tastes but I don't think yours is that off.''

''I hope you're right...it's just that I don't even know where people to go for fun...It would be nice to have a grasp of such concepts. Plus the student council must be responsible for understanding the students they serve, right?'' Makoto suddenly started. ''I-I don't mean that in a surveillance way. I just want to know them as people!''

''Yeah, I get it.'' Namine assured. ''So how do you go about that?''

''Well, I'm working on that. I may be a phantom thief but that's no excuse for me to start ignoring my presidential duties.'' Makoto paused. ''So where do people usually go for fun?''

''Well...'' Namine paused to think. ''...there's the cinema and maybe the arcade. Though I guess we can count places like the planetarium and Inokashira park too.''

''Huh...my friends did take me to a couple of those before...'' Makoto trailed off. ''...If possible, I'd like to go somewhere new. Actually, how about the arcade? I've never been to one. Would you come with me? I can't say if it will broaden my horizons but simply studying won't get me anywhere.''

''Sounds good.''

''Thank goodness...I think I would have been totally lost in there had I gone by myself.'' She admitted. ''Let's get going.''

* * *

''So this is where everyone comes to enjoy themselves. There's more girls here then I thought.'' Makoto remarked. ''Hey...you play this by aiming the gun at the screen, right? That actually seems somewhat realistic.''

Namine half-smiled ''If this surprises you, you're really not one for games, huh?''

''No, I suppose not.'' She said ruefully. ''I take it this is normal, then?''

''Mmhm, you want to try?''

''I-if it's okay...''

''Yup, go for it! I'll teach you if you want.'' Namine offered.

''That'd be great.'' Makoto said gratefully.

* * *

''You were really into that.'' Namine remarked.

Makoto chuckled ''True...I almost forgot myself. I wonder if we could use these techniques in battle.''

''Well, with the way the Metaverse is, why not?''

''Very true. Perhaps going somewhere I don't normally frequent gave me that idea.'' Makoto mused. ''You know, it may only be a little bit, but I think I'm starting to understanding how people pass time. Interesting...I never would've thought of coming here before.''

''That was an interesting side you showed. Never knew you had it in you.'' Namine said with a bit of a smirk.

''Honestly, neither did I...'' She smiled. ''...Hey, do you think can help me out again later? I might be able to give the team more ideas if I can gain increased knowledge outside of my studies.''

''Looking forward to it.'' Namine returned.

''I need to live up to your expectations now that I've taken up your time. Perhaps it won't be immediately but I'm sure I can be of use.''

''Now don't go talking like that. Bad starts aside, we're friends now. We're glad to have you along, okay? No one's going to think you're useless.''

Makoto's smile returned ''Thank you, Namine.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I..._

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the_ _ **Priestess**_ _Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

Later on, Namine went to meet Takemi, learning that the young woman had called her over to help out around the clinic and to run a test.

''You're getting some turnout, Takemi-sensei.'' She commented.

''Tell me about it.'' Takemi agreed. ''I'm not even sure how but it looks like the word about the girl and her dad really spread.''

''Well, they must be glad to know the rumors are wrong.''

''Or maybe it's the other way around.'' Takemi countered. ''It's only true, kid. Anyway...''

The doctor paused as her phone rang before she answered it. ''...Hello. Doctor Takemi's Clinic of Internal Medicine.'' Her eyes widened. ''...What? Again? That's, well...that ship's already sailed so...'' She hung up and sighed. ''...what a pain.''

Namine tilted her head a little ''What's wrong?''

''That little girl's dad has been bringing her here to be treated, even though I referred them to a better hospital. I even told them about the medical error I made...''

''Is that strange? Sounds like they trust you.'' Namine stated.

''I'm just a quack though...The medical error was well documented. Everyone in my field knows about it. I led the the development of a new drug for an incurable illness called 'Crawford Ende's disease.'''

''Is why those people in the hospital blamed you? You didn't want to use it though.'' The girl noted with a troubled look.

''They don't see it that way, kid. The medicine was the cause of the error, which makes it my responsibility.''

''How's that?''

''With Crawford Ende's, certain cells indiscriminately attack other cells throughout the body. When it reaches the muscles, the patient slowly begins to die. There hasn't been much progress made on it-partly because there haven't been many cases of it.'' Takemi paused. ''I worked with a pharmaceutical company that had reached the final stage of the production but...One day, I was suddenly removed from my position. That Chief of Staff Oyamada, my superior at the time took over the entire operation. I don't know if he wanted the glory of developing a new drug or to become rich and famous but...'' Her eyes narrowed. ''...I was careful because I know how bad a mistake here can be. The last patient in that hospital with the disease died...Oyamada made careless mistakes and rushed completion so he could use it on a patient named Miwa.''

''But then you were the scapegoat!'' Namine stated.

''Effectively...Miwa-chan had a reaction and lapsed into critical condition. The chief panicked and laid the blame on me.'' She looked down. ''Miwa-chan and her family resented me. No matter what I said, I couldn't change how they felt about me...Either way, the development was stopped so I had no reason to stay at that hospital. At least now I can keep working as a general practitioner on my own terms...''

''It's not too late though. You haven't given up, right?''

''Yeah...I'm almost there. I reached the final stage in the new medicine. It searches for the attacking cells and destroys them. That's why it's harmless for people who don't have the disease...probably. Nothing is guaranteed in life after all. Don't worry, it doesn't harm any un-infected cells.'' Takemi stated. ''Remember that test we had? And the medicine I gave you the other day? It's a variant to boost health.''

''The one you wanted to me try? Wait, don't tell me...''

''Yeah, I did say it would be good for you in the long run. No sense in messing you up after what I've done to get your health to improve...I'm inching closer to the finish line but I need your help to get there.''

''Well, I don't know what I can do there but I'll try.'' Namine assured.

Takemi looked satisfied. ''That's all I ask. In exchange, I'll offer my medicine at a special price. I'm counting on you, kid.''

* * *

Ann sighed ''Good grief...''

Namine patted her shoulder ''Well, there's always next time.''

''I guess so...'' The blonde had gone with Namine to one of her favorite shops upon hearing the news of a sale but she hadn't found one article of clothing that she liked. ''...no wonder they had such a big sale. It's a wonder people would buy any of that stuff otherwise.''

''Well, you never know with people...''

''True...'' Ann agreed. ''...anyway, I don't feel like going home just yet. You wanna go the Planetarium? I've been meaning to for a while.'' She perked up when her friend nodded. ''All right, come on!''

Ann smiled as they took their seats, both girls staring up at the somewhat luminous ceiling of the hall. ''Wow...I never thought it would be so amazing...I'm a little nervous from how dark it is though. Doesn't think make you think of random stuff?''

''Like what?'' Namine asked with a curious look.

''Like once the show begins, our chairs will turn into rockets and we'll get launched into space...And then we'll wind up on the moon...that would never happen, right?''

''Yeah, not likely.'' The girl returned. ''But I get why it's easy for imagination to wander here. I mean just look at it...''

''Yeah, it's like we're actually in space! We can't usually see the stars in Tokyo, so it's hard to believe this stuff even really exists...Oh, a shooting star!'' Ann paused. ''Wanna make a wish, Namine?''

''Why not...'' The girl blinked. ''...wait, but there's so many, like a meteor shower. It's beautiful!''

''No kidding...'' Ann trailed off. ''...even here, I'm happy seeing a shooting star. You know, I don't think I've looked at the night sky like this since I was a little girl. Have you?''

''Yeah, sometimes, I like it.'' The girl returned. ''It's sure been a while though.''

''Maybe we can try looking for shooting stars from my balcony sometimes.'' Ann suggested.

''Sounds nice.''

Ann beamed ''Thanks for today, it was way more exciting than I expected. Let's come back here together, OK?''

''Okay.'' Namine returned, smiling back.

* * *

 _Well, let's cut off here._

 _I hope this was good. A little short, I guess but I wanted this to be a follow up for the previous chapter. I'm just spreading some light-hearted stuff here and there after all the intensity of the Palace, you know? Next we'll have some more light and fun stuff and the setting up for the surprise I've had in store. I've got the plans ready so it should be soon. Plot wise, I'm in the middle of the next arc._

 _Anywho, I hope you keep reading._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 3)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 5)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 3)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 3)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 1)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 1)_


	24. Chapter 24

''You know, I really do like this place...'' Namine remarked with a smile as she walked with Shiho around Inokashira park.

''Me too.'' The latter returned. ''We used to come every once in a while but now I'm glad to do it some more.''

''I hear that...so how've you been?''

''Good, thanks...You know how I said I was still unsure about the school issue? Well, Mom thinks it would be good for me to transfer.'' Shiho admitted. ''For a fresh start and all...I'm beginning to think she's right. I can't look at Shujin the same way again.''

''Well, I can't blame you...'' Namine figured that part of the problem was that Kamoshida caused quite enough damage to be going around with for her friend and all the other victims. It only made sense after enduring it for so long. ''...so did you decide on a school?''

Shiho shook her head ''Not yet...she knows a few people at some places and they might be able to help out there. It's a work in progress but...well, we are making some steps forward.''

''There you go, I think you just need some more of that positive thinking and you'll be okay.''

Shiho giggled ''I guess so...''

The two passed near the river, noticing a few people gathering near the boats. Namine looked curious ''Those boats seem like a big deal.''

''Yeah, people like to ride them across the river...though they say that if couples ride them, they're fated to break up.'' Shiho recalled.

''That just sounds silly.'' Namine stated. ''Though I guess it isn't too surprising as people tend to believe what they want...''

Shiho nodded, raising an eye when the girl stopped ''Namine-chan?''

''Is that...'' The burgundy haired girl's attention was on a spot near the river where she saw a familiar figure. ''...hey, Yusuke!''

The artist raised an eye and looked back, surprise settling on his face when he noticed them. He walked over to meet the girls ''Hello, so you did receive my text after all, Namine?''

''Text?'' This prompted the girl to check her phone, finding that he actually did send her a message. ''Ah, that must've been when we were on our way. Sorry, I didn't hear it over with all the noise in the streets.''

''That's all right, who is your friend?''

''Oh...'' Namine proceeded to introduce the two, leaving Yusuke curious.

''Ah, I heard about you from Ann. It's a pleasure.'' He said at last.

Shiho smiled ''Likewise. She told me about you too. Did you really ask her to be your model out of the blue like that?''

''Yes, though I couldn't finish the piece. It would've been a first as I never attempted a nude painting.'' Yusuke recalled.

''Nude?!'' Shiho looked at Namine for help, clearly thrown for a loop.

The girl just sighed ''He was completely turned down and for good reason. It's not about to change. Though, judging by that canvas, did you find another subject?''

''I think I have one.'' Yusuke looked back at the boats, gesturing at a particular one, which was being rowed by a man with a woman sitting opposite him. ''My previous painting was rather limited in perspective. That's why I couldn't paint a truly authentic representation of the heart's desires. I would like to paint the aspect of the burning passion between man and woman, so the theme will be the wonders of love. Just looking at them makes me think of Adam and Eve. I shall preserve their love so that generations may bask in its glory.''

''Erm, Kitagawa-kun?'' Shiho spoke up. ''I hate to ruin your mood now but I think you have the wrong idea. I heard those two talking on our way, they're brother and sister. That...doesn't really sound like the love you were talking about.''

''Oh yeah, so maybe that's why they were arguing...'' Namine trailed off.

Yusuke looked disappointed ''So that overflowing passion was just a figment of my imagination? It seems my bias has caused me to overlook the truth of the matter...''

''Did you want to paint that badly?'' Shiho asked curiously.

''He's trying to get past a slump.'' Namine offered. ''So this is just his attempt to find inspiration.''

''I see. I hope you pull it off.'' She told Yusuke.

''So do I, it's the same as your situation, a work in progress. This was just a misunderstanding but that doesn't mean you can't work things out.'' Namine added.

''Thank you both, art is very important to me. I simply cannot give up now.'' Yusuke said firmly.

''You really are passionate about art...that's nice.'' Shiho remarked, wondering what it would be like to have something to care about that strongly. At one point, it might have been volley ball for her but while she did enjoy the sport, she doubted it was the same thing.

''Well, how about we go see if we can find another subject for you?'' Namine suggested.

''I think it sounds like a good idea.'' Shiho offered.

''You wouldn't mind? Thanks again, I'll take you up on that.'' Yusuke returned.

* * *

Later, Namine went to meet with Yoshida who had informed her that he was about to go for another speech...

She was inwardly relieved that people seemed more inclined to hear the politician out this time. There was certainly far less trouble than before.

''Acting not in self interest but for the greater good...that is the mindset we politicians must instill in our constituents!'' Yoshida addressed the observers.

''Okay, we're set.''

Namine raised an eye at the unfamiliar voice and looked over, stopping when she saw two men, one holding a camera neaby.

''Ok, we should be be able to get a lot of interesting footage. It IS No Good Tora after all.''

This made her wonder if she should stop Yoshida to warn him but as she observed the man, it was clear that he had noticed them and he still continued.

''Advocate an overly optimistic policy, only to reel in voters during the election session...That's how No Good Tora though and operated 20 years ago, making un-achievable pledges.''

''Hm, this isn't how I saw this going...'' One of them said.

''If you make a promise, you must keep it. If you make a mistake, you must atone for it. These are the basic principles that we have learned from the youngest of ages...''

''Boring.'' The director stated.

''He's making some pretty good points, don't you think?'' The camera man returned.

''That's why it 's all useless! Jeez, let's go!''

Namine breathed in relief when they left...

* * *

''It seems like they only wanted to get some footage of the old No-Good Tora. Very disrespectful. However, I've been distancing myself from that. Do you think I've regained my confidence?'' Yoshida inquired.

''Sure sounds like it!''

''Well, I must have if you think so.'' Yoshida smiled. ''However, I will never forget the disgrace I suffered as No Good Tora...Can I tell you a story?'' When Namine nodded, he continued ''I mentioned this before but 20 years ago I was lucky enough to become a Diet member. However, I wanted to be a politician for all the wrong reasons. I wanted to be in a position of power and I was obsessed with the glamorous lifestyle. I thought only of being popular. I truly was No-Good Tora. Learn from me. Don't concentrate on one facet of life and rule it all out. That applies to all goals as well. Do your best, but do it the right way. Voters are much more sensible than we give them credit for. Being ambitious and striving to advance in the world will change your outlook on life.''

A man walked over ''You've given some good speeches, Mr. Yoshida. I can't believe you lost the last two elections.''

''You're...Kuramoto-san's grandson?''

''Yes, my name is Benzo.''

''Does he know that you're here speaking with me?''

''I'm aware that you and my grandfather are on bad terms but that doesn't concern me.'' Benzo looked at Namine. ''I take it, she's your secretary? I heard she's been helping out a lot lately.''

''You know about her?'' Yoshida looked surprised, Namine looked like she was wondering the same thing.

''Yes. My grandfather was recently hopsitalized and you've becom the topic of our conversations. I'd like to talk with you again sometime. I learned lot from your speech today.'' He left.

''So he spoke of me...?'' Yoshida's phone rang and he looked at it. ''Sorry, I have to take care of some business. Let's wrap this up for today.''

''Okay, good luck.'' Namine returned.

''Thank you, the same to you.''

* * *

Ohya nodded a few times, having gotten Namine over to Crossroads for a meeting about their deal. She was finding out plenty already.''I see...A bulletin board, huh...? So the calling card they used for Kamoshida was different. Now that's a scoop. That kind of information usually doesn't see the light of day. You have any photos or videos of it?''

''No videos but...here.'' Namine displayed a picture on her phone.

''Nice! You really are well informed.'' She chuckled. ''But seriously, the Phantom Thieves of Hearts? They sound like kids on a playground, not valiant fighters for society. I mean, they act all high and mighty but I'm not sure they're really worth much in the end.''

''Why do you say that?''

''You don't mean you think they're actually virtuous? Kid, in my line of work, there's no clearer sign of deception than goodwill. You know, like the shady actions of a charitable organization so the actual criteria of a peace prize. Same goes for the Phantom Thieves. You just have to learn to take somethings with a grain of salt.''

Namine could think of one thing to say here ''That's...really cynical.''

''Isn't it? Come on, don't be such a downer.'' Lala added.

''Why? It's the truth.'' Ohya returned.

The woman sighed ''There you go again. You used to be so positive...''

''Oh, shut it! I don't care about the past!'' Ohya scowled. ''...Gimme some sushi.''

Lala shook her head ''We're all out...Hey, why don't you go back to covering politics?''

''No can do. I've been permanently reassigned to the culture and entertainment department.''

The bartender sighed ''What a crappy company...I mean it's already been over a year since the incident.'' At Namine's clear confused look, she added. ''Oh, by that I mean...''

''Don't say another word. That has nothing to do with my source.'' Ohya said sternly.

''Right, sorry...'' Lala returned.

''Urgh, dammit! I'm already sobering up. Gimme a refill, Lala-chan!''

''You're such a child sometimes...'' Lala said, exasperated.

''Hey, you wanna drink? You can have some of mine if you want.'' Ohya offered.

''No thanks.'' Namine replied.

Lala pointedly cleared her throat ''At least one of you is sensible.''

''That's some scowl you've got. Anyway, why are you coming to a bar if you can't even drink alcohol?''

''Weren't you the one who asked me to come?'' Namine pointed out, she was beginning to wonder how drunk the journalist was now.

''Haha, that's right! You're a true believer in the Phantom Thieves. Well, at least I know you're gonna be pretty useful. I'm not all that interested in the Phantom Thieves myself, but keep the info coming, all right?'' Ohya grinned.

* * *

A couple of days later, in Shujin's courtyard...

''So, Ryuji's off to find out more about those requests?'' Makoto clarified.

''Yup, he got all excited when he knew we were making plans to go to Mementos.'' Ann replied. ''I told him it won't be that easy and a lot of what we heard is still up in the air but he just won't listen. We're just sorting things and I'll fill Yusuke in about his later. I figure it's just better to let Ryuji work the excitement out of his system.''

''I see what you mean. Does this mean you can even get a request just by following up on rumors?''

''Well, we haven't yet. But there's no reason it can't happen. It did turn out that people knew about our targets before, like that bully we had to deal with. Even now, Mishima-kun told me a bunch of students know about the guy we've been asked to stop.'' Namine explained.

The older girl nodded in understanding ''And that's the request we have the most information about...''

Namine nodded back ''Mishima-kun helps us get some info about those from time to time. It's just complicated...you know, people aren't always willing to talk.''

''That's true...so let's what we know about this man. His name was Uchimura, correct?''

''Yeah, we got the word that he's abusing his girlfriend.'' Morgana paused. ''Actually, weren't you going to say something about it before Ryuji took off, Lady Ann?''

''Yup, it made me remember something I heard. There were a couple of girls talking near class the other day about this. It looks like the guy's girlfriend's related to one of them. They were trying to figure out how to help her so they went to a fortune teller in Shinjuku for advice. But it sounded like they only got bad news. I don't really know them though and I'm not sure what class they're in either.''

''We can try asking that fortune teller though.'' The feline suggested.

''That seems to be for the best.'' Makoto agreed.

Namine nodded ''Then we'll go to Mementos once we know enough to figure this out.''

''Right. I hope we can get some more information, I don't want to let this continue.'' Ann stated.

''None of us do, let's just try see what we can get from her first.''

* * *

Namine and Morgana headed over after school. It took some asking around but it was simple to find the fortune teller as she seemed to be quite renowned around these parts.

Morgana blinked twice, staring at the blond woman sitting at a desk. ''Wait, isn't that the same lady we met back when we came to talk to the reporter?''

''Oh, you're right...'' Namine thought back. ''...she even said something Ryuji having trouble and even that turned out true real fast. Well, let's go find out about her predictions...''

''Hello there.'' The woman greeted when they approached her. ''Please take a seat, have you come to request a reading?''

''Actually, no...'' Namine gave her a brief rundown about the reason.

The woman nodded in understanding ''I see, so you heard about that and wanted to see for yourself. Well, I can tell you that it's true. I'm afraid that I only saw darkness in that woman's future, she's going to get really hurt.''

''But there's got to be some way to help.'' Namine returned, seeming troubled.

''I'm afraid there's only one and even then...the cards have shown me the way and I have never been wrong.'' The fortune teller stated. ''I heard of this man before, Uchimura Yuya had quite the bit of nasty reputation. A couple of my customers had trouble with him but the word was he turned a new leaf. It would seem that was false.''

''I'll say...'' The girl made a mental note of the name, knowing they had been right to come here. ''...so-ah...'' She blinked, remembering that she didn't know the woman's name.

The fortune teller seemed to catch on because she gave a sheepish look ''Oh, I'm sorry-I should've introduced myself. My name is Mifune Chihaya. What's yours?''

''Hyakuya Namine.''

''That's a nice name. Back to our subject, I advised those girls to come and see me to get a Holy Stone. It's a special charm that grants the owner protection.'' Chihaya informed. ''I sell one for a 100,000 yen. They were a little skeptic but that woman's cousin said she would look into getting the required money. I believe it should be what that woman needs.''

The two present phantom thieves could completely understand how the girls felt. Both unknowingly had the same thought of the stone being too expensive. But at least they now had what they need to face their requested target's shadow.

Chihaya moved things along ''By the way since you're here now, could I interest you in a consultation?'' The girl looked puzzled but Chihaya had no problem explaining ''I can start a reading to test the waters of your fate, how about it?''

Namine didn't believe in fate but she was curious to see what would come of this. ''Sure, why not?''

''Yes, I've seen everything. A stream of light obscuring the sun...like an arrow tearing through the sky...'' Chihaya mused. ''...There seems to be new wealth in your future. Your financial fortune is looking good today. This wealth of which I speak will come...from your house. Head home with no detours, and precisely five thousand yen will await you there!''

Namine tilted her head ''Are you sure?''

''Yes, I only speak of what I saw. Fate is absolute!'' She paused. ''But...what is this? How strange, Hyakuya-san, the general flow of your future seems to indicate Loss, Sadness...Ruin...? And an inmate, locked away in a lonely cell...''

Morgana was left confused but the words were falling in place for Namine. One place immediately came to her mind, the Velvet Room.

Chihaya went on ''You seem to be a good person, Hyakuya-san, but are you perhaps mixed up with the wrong crowd? My...It seems...continuing on your current path will lead to your death.''

Namine frowned ''Sorry but this is a little too much for me to believe...''

''I understand...If the divination is coming to me this clearly, the truth of it is simply undeniable. Though now that I think about it, there may be a way you can attempt to counteract your destiny...All you need...'' Chihaya took out a vivid blue stone in a box. ''...is this the holy stone! With its power in your control, you can avoid even the most unfortunate of futures...probably!'' The girl sweat dropped. ''I typically only recommend this to my more experienced customers, but your situation is too dire to ignore. You see the stone itself is imbued with an aura of job that will sap away all the horrible energy surrounding you. All you need to do is keep it wrapped up in a cloth and be sure to recharge its power in moonlight every three days. As for the cost, it's only a hundred thousand yen! Not bad for an item which can change your very future, yes?''

''...As much as I appreciate your patience with me, I don't need it.'' Namine said at last.

''What?'' Chihaya looked surprised. ''Even though death approaches? So...you really don't want it? What a shame it will to be see the flame of youth snuffed out so soon. Well, come see me again if you change your mind. I really can help if you'd like.''

''Thanks, Mifune-san.'' Namine returned before leaving.

* * *

''Well at least we got what we were looking for.'' Morgana remarked.

Namine nodded as they entered Leblanc ''It really does seem like she is as good as people say but I don't know about taking everything she said at face value.''

''Oh, you're home. I've been waiting for you.'' Sojiro admitted.

''?''

''The chief seems strangely happy. I wonder what's up.'' Morgana mused.

''Hey, Namine, how's your pocket money situation been looking?'' At the girl's curious look, he added. ''Well, since you've been doing this mcuh around here, I decided to help. Here.'' He passed her some money.

''Oh thanks, Boss.''

''I won some from the lotto, so I don't mind sharing my winnings.'' He returned before heading to the kitchen.

''What...is this five thousand yen?!'' Morgana was dumbfounded. ''Hey it's just like that fortune teller said...''

Namine counted the money ''...She even got the amount right, whoa...''

''Wait...this is bad! Didn't she say you're gonna die? Shouldn't we go back and take her offer?'' Morgana asked.

''Mona, calm down. Besides, you heard what she said, that holy stone is what she has to offer. I fail to see how it could help.'' Namine returned. That whole deal sounded like a scam to her anyway. ''Mifune-san is good but no one's infallible.''

''How are you so calm about this?''

''I'm not going to be afraid of death striking any minute just because she said so. What we're about to do tomorrow is going to prove her wrong anyway.'' She replied.

''I...guess so.'' The feline relented, seeing how changing the heart could easily mess up the prediction. ''Are you sure though?''

''Yeah, it sounds like she's real convinced that fate is absolute. Well, I don't think it is at all.'' Namine said firmly. ''I want to believe that there is something people can do to change their fate so I'll do just that.''

''Whoa...'' Morgana let out. He had to admire her nerve, he didn't think he could take it that well if it had been him in her shoes.

''Look, if it makes you feel any better, we'll look into this another time. Let's just rest up so we can be ready for tomorrow.''

''All right, that sounds good.'' Morgana concurred.

* * *

The Phantom Thieves took off to Mementos as planned the following day. After a few attempts, Mona had been able to point out the general area where their target was and so they headed over.

''So, it's really a station...'' Queen looked around curiously. ''...and you think those tunnels continue on and on?''

''We're pretty sure, yeah.'' Mona replied. ''Some of those areas are locked though, one opened after the news about us taking down Kamoshida and another did after Madarame confessed.''

''I see...so it might have something to do with the public's perception of us, since Mementos is basically everyone's Palace.''

''Exactly. I knew you'd catch on, Queen!''

They fought some shadows along the way, eventually coming across a Regent treasure demon, which Joker was able to acquire as a mask.

''What was that?'' Fox asked the group.

''Oh, right, you and Queen weren't here when we saw the first one.'' Panther realized. ''Well, a treasure demon is basically a special shadow. It doesn't fight like the others but Joker says it's really useful in obtaining stronger Personas.''

''I see...the Metaverse truly is filled with surprises.''

* * *

Dealing with more opposition, the Phantom Thieves were closing in on Shadow Uchimura's whereabouts when their path was blocked by more shadows. A Mokoi, an Eligor, a Sudama, an Ippon-Datara and a Hua Po.

The Mokoi cast Tarukaja on the Eligor shadow, which then proceeded to strike Mona and Joker. The former countered by summoning Zorro and having the Persona ram it back. He proceeded to slash the Mokoi before calling for a Garula, leaving the swashbuckler to finish the shadow off.

The Hua Po flew up to dodge the bullets from Panther's gun and cast Agi on Queen, who defended and waited for the shadow to come close before punching it hard. This gave Panther the chance to strike it down with her whip before Queen took it down. Skull successfully gunned the Sudama down before he bashed it, with Joker attacking next and backing off once Fox summoned Goemon.

''Giant Slice!''

The blow finished off the Sudama and and Eligor, leaving the Ippon-Datara very weakened. Joker took advantage of this to have it become one of her masks.

It was a moment later that Queen noticed a card appearing on the ground where one of the shadows was. ''What is this?''

''Ah, that's a Skill card.'' Fox replied. ''It contains a skill that we can pass to our Personas. They work according to the Persona and the skill in question.''

Queen put the item away ''I'll see about this later then, it's very useful.''

''Never mind that now, we're really kickin' some butt here.'' Skull grinned. ''Y'know, I wouldn't have thought with how we got to meet but we're turning out to be a good team, huh?''

''That's true. We really did turn things around but don't go getting a big head.'' Mona cautioned. ''Anyway, we're almost there, I can sense the shadow up ahead.''

* * *

''That's the guy...'' Skull frowned as they walked to Shadow Uchimura. ''...he seems pretty ticked off.''

''Who cares about that now? If the fortune teller's prediction is on point, he's going to hurt his girlfriend terribly.'' Panther reminded.

''We'll make sure it doesn't come true, come on.'' Joker said firmly, they shared glances and nodded, quickly coming face to face with their target.

''Dammit...I gambled away all my money again...'' The shadow cursed. ''Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit! Where is she? Get over here, so I can beat you!''

''...Yeesh, I feel sorry for the girlfriend.'' Mona grumbled.

''Whaaat?! Don't you dare lecture me! She's mine, I can do whatever I want with her! Beatng her is a right that only I have! I'll have you know that she loves it too! If you wanna get in my way, then you're gonna diiiiiee!''

The shadow transformed into a Fuu-ki before it howled ''I'll finish you!''

Queen's eyes narrowed as it was surrounded by the aura from a Tarukaja spell. Since she remembered dealing with a similar shadow in Kaneshiro's Palace she decided a little warning was in order. ''Everyone, that shadow drains wind magic but is weak to electric magic.''

''Gotcha. Then...''

But before any of them could move, Shadow Uchimura began to rampage, lashing out at them with fierce and rapid strikes. Skull cringed as one of the blows nailed his chest, leaving him wheezing. This left him unprepared for an oncoming attack but thankfully, Fox intervened in time to slash the shadow and push it back. Undaunted, the enemy attacked them both before launching a Swift Strike at the girls.

''Johanna!'' Queen rode out on her Persona, tackling the shadow then before casting Freila, leaving it grunting in pain. She merely sped off when he tried to counter strike, missing by a margin.

''Dammit, dammit!'' The shadow cursed. ''Just die already!''

Seeing the damage pile up with their enemy's relentless attacks, Mona decided to hang back and cast healing magic to help everyone. And not a moment too soon, for their enemy was already rampaging again. Joker kept her guard up and summoned Shiki-Ouji, which then grabbed their enemy and slammed it to the ground. The shadow snarled as it was then struck by Johanna's Flash Bomb and Panther's whip, casting Garula a second later.

Shiki-Ouji took the brunt of the spell, fending the worst of it off, to the enemy's surprise. Skull and Fox attacked up close before Joker directed Shiki-Ouji to strike the enemy next.

''Carmen!'' Panther had her Persona blast Shadow Uchimura with her flames, leaving to cry out as the damage it was taking to pile up.

''Let's see how this works, Psio!'' Joker ordered, this turned out to be very effective, leaving the shadow weakened as it was thrown down. Thus, the party was able to finish it off with a last round of attacks.

The shadow transformed back into the human form, revealing a panting Uchimura

''I hate it. I hate it when people look at me like I'm just a bug to them...I can do better...I'm a superior human being...All the people round me just don't get it...'' He faded away.

''How arrogant can one be?'' Fox frowned, disgusted with the man's behavior.

''Tell me about it...the right to beat his girlfriend? He really was the worst of the worst to think that.'' Queen huffed. ''Anyway, he's been dealt with so we should see that fortune teller later.''

''It's the best way we can learn how this will turn out.'' Mona agreed. He couldn't help but think of Chihaya's prediction regarding Joker and hoped this would be a step forward in proving the girl's conviction to be true. ''Anyway, we should go back now...''

* * *

 _Well, I'll stop here._

 _I'm posting those together because it's technically a two part chapter, I just don't want to make it too long. And it definitely will be if I kept going. Since I already had it planned out and I would rather avoid cliff hangers if I could help it, here you go. Just so we're clear, this excursion isn't quite over yet. Next chapter has another part of my own plans for this story. I hope you like it._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 4)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 3)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 4)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 2)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 1)_


	25. Chapter 25

One would think that after such an eventful visit, things would have calmed down and they would have easily returned to the real world, right?

Wrong, because that was exactly when took a turn for the very strange.

It all started when Mona spotted three shadows on a path not far off from theirs. Oddly enough, they seemed to be fighting. But it wasn't with each other...

The shadows were in battle with a teenage boy with brown hair who looked like he could be around the group's age. He had a pure white royal outfit with red and gold accents, white pants and dark shoes along with a red, long-nosed mask. He was currently cutting down a shadow with a serrated sword.

''Whoa, there's someone else out here...'' Panther trailed off.

''And he seems...'' Mona's words died in his mouth as the teen proceeded to touch his mask. He was surrounded in a blaze of blue before a figure clad in a white and blue outfit with gold accents and a bow in hand appeared, a cape flowing behind it.

''Wait, that means...'' Skull's jaw dropped.

''Yeah, he's a Persona User too! And that Persona feels really strong!'' Mona exclaimed.

That was quickly proven true as the Persona took out both shadows with a few blasts of magic before fading away.

It was just then that he noticed the group observing him, seeming just as surprised as they felt.

''...I never thought I'd run into people like this now.'' He remarked after a moment.

''We're just as surprised...''

''You're...a cat?'' He looked curious.

''No, I'm not!'' Mona retorted at once.

Panther sighed ''It's a long story. Anyway, how long have you had your Persona?''

''A little over a year now.'' The teen replied. ''Would I be correct in assuming you're the Phantom Thieves?''

''Nope, you're spot on.''

''So who are you?'' Fox asked in return.

''You can call me Crow.''

Panther blinked ''Oh, you use a code name too?''

''I found out it was for the best.'' He replied. ''So you've been changing a heart then...''

His tone wasn't lost on any of them, making Skull frown ''What, you got a problem with that?''

''As a matter of fact, I do.'' He returned. ''There's definitely a better way than what you choose to do.''

''Hey, you don't know anything about us, so don't go judging us just like that!''

Joker didn't really pay attention to that as he was hardly to voice his disdain over their team. There was something else on her mind, Mona seemed to be a little restless for a while now. ''Mona, what's up? You've been acting strange.''

''...Something doesn't feel right...'' The feline thief looked uncomfortable. ''...I can't put my finger but I think we should be leaving soon.''

What happened next served to distract the two of them...

Like their leader, Fox had also heard people talking down about their team and he chose to disregard it. ''If you've known of the Metaverse for this long, do you by any chance know of a Persona User with a black mask?''

Crow's eyes widened ''How do you know about him?''

''A couple of our targets mentioned him before. In fact, he was contacted to cause that big accident near Shibuya a few days ago.''

''I see...'' The teen frowned. ''...to answer the question, yes I do...I met him when I first discovered the Metaverse and my Persona.''

''Whoa, what?! What the heck happened?'' Mona demanded.

''He tricked me...'' Crow grimaced at the memory he was thinking of. ''...he seemed so knowledgeable and he offered to teach me. If I'd known anything about him back then...can you tell me anything you know about that man?''

''Well...'' Mona paused, seemingly realizing something. ''...there's not much we can say but you're going to have to come with if you want to know. Staying here is only going to bring big trouble.''

While that left the party confused, Crow seemed to understand ''Ah, you're right...we've been here for too long.''

''Eh, I don't know what you're both talkin' about but I can't see us getting out that easily, look.'' Skull pointed ahead to the area behind Crow, which seemed to be flickering for some reason before a wall seemed to set in place, much to their surprise. Even using the Goho-Ms the party had merely teleported them back to the same area.

''What?''

''What's going on?''

If that weren't odd enough, the route the party took was also suddenly blocked off. The walls seemed to be completely solid and even attacking with their Personas only caused destruction but revealed more walls beyond the one they took down.

''This never happened before!'' Mona exclaimed.

''Not to me, either...'' Crow frowned. ''...it makes no sense...''

''Well, we've got one way through.'' Panther pointed out the path to their far most right. ''Might as well try from there, right?''

Joker looked at Crow ''Your opinion on us aside for the time being, would you cooperate with us?''

The teen looked surprised but Skull cut in before he could respond ''Hey, Joker, we can't work with this guy! You heard him...''

''This isn't the time to focus on that stuff. We're all stuck here, wouldn't it be better to work together and figure this mess out?''

''She's right, something is seriously wrong. We don't have to like each other, let's just focus on getting through this.'' Queen added.

''That's certainly true, very well then. I'll help.'' Crow conceded.

* * *

Unfortunately, it seemed that the hall they found was just as blocked off, even the part that lead to a staircase. No matter how you slice it, they were trapped.

''Okay, what's going on with you two?'' Queen asked Mona. ''Both of you seem tense and I don't think it has two do with our situation.''

Before the cat could respond, everyone was blasted by a wave of energy that threw them down. A big figure descended in front of the group, it was clad in a dark billowing robes. Its face was shrouded in a blood stained cloth sack, revealing only one gleaming white eye, it held two long barrel revolvers and a chain across its shoulders.

''No...'' Mona grit his teeth ''...remember when I told you guys that we can't stay in any part of Mementos for long? That thing is the reason why!''

''Wait...'' Panther vaguely recalled him mentioning something of the sort before. ''...you mean that's the super powerful shadow you warned us about?''

''Yeah! I've only seen this thing once and even the other shadows are terrified of it...''

''Well, that was before right? We're way tougher now, let's fight it!'' Skull called.

''Hold it, Skull.'' Joker said tersely. For some reason, she could feel a terrible aura off the shadow. ''Don't you feel it? That thing seems crazy strong...I can't shake the feeling that it outclasses us.''

''You'd be right to believe that.'' Crow was just as tense. ''I've had to face the Reaper once and I was lucky to escape alive...problem is, I don't think we have much of a choice in the matter. Brace yourselves.''

He was soon proven correct as the shadow attacked, striking them all with a powerful Megidola spell, which they endeavored to dodge or defend against as much as possible.

''The hell?!'' Skull recoiled.

''It really is powerful...'' Queen winced.

Knowing they had to move, the two shook it off and summoned their Personas. Calling for a Mazionga and Freila which hit home, it soon became clear that the attacks did next to nothing. Fox and Mona attacked up close but the Reaper merely threw them back. It also remained when Johanna and Captain Kidd attacked it, striking them both down.

Panther grit her teeth as the rest began summoning their Personas ''Carmen!''

Fox steadied himself ''Goemon!''

''Setanta!'' Joker called.

''Zorro!'' Mona cried out.

''Robin Hood!'' Crow exclaimed.

The four Personas appeared before them and charged the enemy per their summoner's orders. Setanta tried to battle it up close but it was quickly outmatched by the Reaper. It then easily brushed Zorro's wind blades and was unfazed by Carmen's flames. Robin Hood notched an arrow and fired it, but the Reaper merely knocked it aside, even breaking out of Goemon's ice magic a second later.

''No way! We're not doing anything?!'' Skull cried out.

''Weren't you listening?! This thing's way too strong for us now...'' Mona grimaced.

''Yeah, but what do we do?''

''I don't know. Even the Goho-Ms are useless!''

''Either way, it won't help...that thing's first attack damaged most, if not all the ones we have.'' Fox stated. ''At any rate, let's not give it any breathing room. It's best if we keep attacking.''

''Right!''

Everyone agreed with the sentiment, continuing their offence. Sadly, it seemed as their efforts were of no help as the Reaper easily brushed their attacks off again. It proceeds to cast Maragidyne, the fierce flames knocking Fox out.

Mona looked alarmed ''Fox is down, we've gotta help!''

''Phoenix!'' Joker switched Personas, not noticing Crow looking on in surprise at this. ''Samarecarm!''

The spell was successful in rejuvenating the young artist, who immediately rejoined them and called for Goemon. Joker helped by switching again, this time to Orthrus before the two directed their Personas to strike.

Crow's eyes widened ''She can...? But why?''

''Hey, come on, we've gotta fight!'' Panther called.

Shaking his thoughts off, the teen nodded back and rejoined the battle.

* * *

Whatever they threw at the Reaper, it just fought hard and hit even harder. As if its own strength wasn't bad enough, it clearly had skills of various elements to cause more damage to everyone. This left some of the group to hang back and help heal everyone. Things were going terribly, to put it mildly. Nothing they did fazed it in the slightest. Even as it seemed that the walls holding them here were beginning to disappear, there was no way to make use of the chance as they couldn't get far enough from the Reaper. It was no surprise that the shadow was so feared, its power was incredible...

''Dammit...'' Skull ground his teeth.

''It's too strong...and we don't even have a way to get out of here...'' Mona frowned, glancing at the sealed areas.

''No...is it this it?'' Panther whispered fearfully while Queen grimaced.

This made Mona stiffen as he couldn't help but recall Chihaya's prediction, making him look at Joker, who was taking some medicine. Did that mean...no, he couldn't believe it...

Joker forced herself up, even as she could see her friends falling to fear and exhaustion, two things she felt plenty of in spades, she knew they couldn't just back out here. But as she tried to think, nothing came to mind...

Then, she took another look around, which was an idea hit her. It was a long shot, very much so, but she preferred trying that than waiting for that monster to kill them.

* * *

''How is it not tired...'' Queen was distracted by the sight of Setanta flying at the Reaper. ''...Joker?''

The girl kept her eyes on their enemy, not even blinking when her Persona was struck back, telling it to attack once more. They were even more confused when the Reaper took it down soon, but Joker merely summoned Shiki-Ouji and had it tackle the shadow repeatedly. Either way, nothing seemed to have changed.

''Joker, stop, this isn't working!'' Fox called.

Whether the girl heard him or not, she didn't show it and merely summoned another Persona to strike next.

''...Let's help her.'' Queen said at last. ''Somehow I don't see this being a last stand, she knows normal attacks won't work. I think she's up to something.''

''You're right, let's do it!'' Mona agreed and they joined the girl.

It was when she attacked a third time with Phoenix that Crow caught on to the girl's line of thinking.

''So that's why...'' His fist clenched and he called on Robin Hood. ''Megaton Raid!'' He looked at the rest. ''It's quite an idea. I see what she's up to now, it's our best chance. Try to keep fighting as much as you can. I think it'll make sense soon.''

* * *

Joker was glad they had come to help, telling them would have been too risky now. As she fell on a knee, she figured her strength was depleting fast but she refused to fall here.

She summoned Arsene, as her original Persona battled, she began to feel a sudden strength welling up within her...

'This is...' Arsene paused, almost sounding in awe, making it clear that he felt something too. The gentleman thief chuckled a second later '...you continue to amaze, my other self. Very well, let's put this new strength of ours to good use!'

He spread an arm out, creating a myriad of dark energy lances, before slashing his other arm down. A red blast hit the Reaper, seemingly freezing it in place before the lances began to descend, each one hitting the target with explosive force. Arsene snapped his fingers before the final lances turned into an energy beam that sent the enemy crashing down into a tunnel.

''W-whoa...!'' Skull's jaw dropped.

''What was that...?'' Queen looked stunned.

''Amazing...'' Crow trailed off.

It was all making sense now for everyone. ''No wonder she hasn't said anything. She was just trying to make sure it wouldn't catch on to her plan. She was pushing the Reaper back to the tunnels to trap it and since it just underestimated us, it went off without a hitch. Brilliant!'' Mona exclaimed.

Panther couldn't help smiling ''Joker, you're awesome!''

''I'll say, way to go!'' Mona added. ''It looks like the walls are gone. We can get out of here!''

The girl in question tried to stand but it seemed her strength failed her because she collapsed a moment later.

''Joker!'' Skull yelped before the party ran to her.

Mona transformed ''Come on, let's go. That thing could come back any second. She did all this to buy us time, let's not waste it!''

''Right!'' Fox picked Joker up and they headed to the bus...

''I think we're far away now...'' Mona admitted, stopping after

''It seems so.'' Fox agreed. ''That aside for a moment, what about Joker? Is she all right?''

''I'm afraid not.'' Queen grimaced, she and Panther were tending to the girl, who had yet to awaken. ''She's really pale...I don't know what that new attack was but I think it completely drained her.''

''I doubt that's all...if we're this tired from fighting, how do you think she feels after switching between Personas like that? Fighting that way must be even more draining...'' Crow stated.

''Good point, dammit, it must be hell on her.'' Skull frowned.

''Yes, the burden she bore back there was tremendous...'' Fox trailed off.

''The worst part is, I can't gather enough power to heal her...'' Mona admitted regretfully.

''Don't feel bad Mona, we're just the same.'' Panther stated.

''Give her these.'' Crow handed the girl a couple of medicine bottle. ''I found a few during my recent visits here. They work rather well.''

''Oh, thanks!''

''Hey, you sure about this? Panther, remember this guy really doesn't care for us.'' Skull pointed out.

''I have my own reasons but I'm not so ungrateful as to ignore your leader's efforts.'' Crow replied. ''Had it not been for her courage, we wouldn't have escaped the way we did. This is the least I can do.''

''That's certainly true, thank you.'' Queen returned as Panther helped their leader to the medicine.

''I'm still confused about what happened in the end, guys.'' She admitted.

''Yeah, so am I...where'd that even come from?'' Queen wondered.

''I wonder...'' Mona trailed off. ''...say, Arsene? Can you even hear us when Joker's like this?''

'Yes.' The persona returned. 'I'm afraid she's the one bearing the strain for our battle, not to mention that last skill.'

''So you do know how you two pulled that off?''

'One...but it's a far shot. It's best not to say anything for now.'

''All right. We'll wait till you two figure it out...'' Skull conceded. ''...I still wanna know why the hell we got trapped like that!''

''That's certainly troubling.'' Crow frowned. ''It never happened to me either...and no matter how I look at it, the whole thing screams of a set up.''

''I had that impression too.'' Fox concurred. ''But who on earth would do this?''

''There's the million yen question.'' Queen stated. ''It's way too much of a coincidence...someone wanted us to run into that monster.''

* * *

They were able to leave without trouble, with Crow going on his own after they neared Mementos' entrance and everyone returned to the real world.

''I am so glad that's over...'' Ann sighed.

''That makes all of us.'' Makoto leaned back on her seat, settling so Namine could lean against her. Morgana nodded emphatically to this.

''I can't believe we pulled through that. No complaints though.'' The feline added.

''I don't like to ruin the mood but what do we do now? We can't possibly take Namine back to Leblanc like this.'' Yusuke pointed out, thinking it would raise too many questions as the girl had yet to awaken.

''It's okay.'' Ann smiled. ''I've got an idea. Makoto, hand me Namine's phone, would you?''

* * *

Sojiro raised an eye ''A sleepover?''

''Yup,'' Ann replied on the other end. ''You know, we just want the chance to ease up and all. It seemed like a good time so I kind of sprung this on them out of the blue. Which is why I told everyone I'd tell you.''

''It sounds fine to me, have fun.'' The barista returned.

''Thanks!'' She hung up and sighed, walking out of her house's hall to a room nearby. She had suggested bringing everybody to her place, since it had enough room for them all to stay over. She thought it would do them all good to just relax and hang out together after what they'd been through.

The guest room had two beds and a couple of bed side tables along with a small table and a chair. Namine was resting on one with Morgana next to her while Ryuji and Makoto were on the other one, both seeming amused as they overheard the talk. ''I wish we could...''

''I don't see why not. We could try having one for real some other time.'' Makoto suggested.

''Sounds good!'' She returned, taking a seat.

Yusuke walked in moments later ''Your home is certainly beautiful, Ann. I'm glad you invited us.''

''Yeah, it just seemed right. My parents used to invite a whole bunch of people when they used to work here and they figured the house could use a lot of space.'' The blonde leaned back. ''I can't tell you guys how relieved I am that we all pulled through. I really thought that monster would have killed us.''

''Things really were bad. If it hadn't been for Namine...'' Morgana trailed off, marveling at the burgundy haired girl's courage and perseverance that helped her keep going.

Makoto nodded as she began to smile ''I'm only glad she was there...I don't want to think where we would have been if it hadn't been for her.''

''Same here.'' Ryuji agreed while Yusuke nodded. ''Man, that was crazy though...is it gonna be a usual thing for us to get stuck like that?''

''I don't think so.'' Morgana offered. ''Something felt really, really off about the place we were in before. I still don't know what but it's like I told you guys before, nothing like this happened.''

''That's a relief.'' Yusuke stated. ''Does this mean it has to do with the distortions you mentioned in Mementos?''

''That's the only reasoning I can think of.''

''By the way, Morgana...'' Ann looked at the cat. ''...I've been meaning to ask, you were acting a little weird when we talked about the fortune teller. Did something happen?''

''W-well...'' The cat hesitated but decided to explain everything else regarding their visit to Chihaya and finished with ''...Namine didn't want to make a big deal out of it and that's why she didn't tell you guys before.''

''I see...'' Yusuke crossed his arms. ''...I understand how she feels. I don't think I would've taken it too differently if it had been me.''

''I wouldn't believe it either.'' Makoto stated. ''That fortune teller may be good but I fail to see how anyone can be right all the time.''

''Yeah, she said something like that too...'' Morgana recalled.

''Well, look at it this way, we made sure the prediction didn't happen.'' The student body president pointed out.

'Not to mention we also pulled through after such an ordeal.' Johanna added.

'Namine helped made sure it would happen, she did it for everyone's sake.' Carmen remarked. 'If she believes she can fight against such fate then the least we can do is have some faith in her.'

''I couldn't have said it better myself.'' Makoto agreed.

''...We've gotta do better, you guys.'' Ryuji said after a few moments of silence. ''I dunno about you but now that I look back, I feel like I've gotten cocky. Things just seemed to go so well and I thought we had it made. I didn't take things seriously.''

''I don't think you're the only one.'' Ann offered.

''Yes, we can't expect Namine to take on all the hardship alone.'' Yusuke stated and Makoto nodded.

''Yeah.'' Ann agreed, thinking on how their friend really was the best choice for a leader. ''She's gone above and beyond for us. We've gotta get stronger and work just as hard as she does.''

''I couldn't have said it better myself, Lady Ann.'' Morgana smiled, glad that they decided to use this as a learning experience. He knew that they had not only come out all right but they were bound to grow and improve. Their team would surely become stronger and be ready to face the trials in their path.

* * *

''Master, the Inmate is awake.''

Namine blinked tiredly at the familiar voice, narrowing her eyes a little to see Justine near the gate of the Velvet Room.

''? What just...'' She tried to sit up but cringed.

''I'd advise you to rest, Trickster. Being in your current state is completely understandable after what you've been through.'' Igor stated.

''I never thought you'd actually fight that mad shadow like this...will wonders never cease?'' Caroline shook her head.

This made the girl remember ''Wait, what happened with...''

''If this is about your team, they're all right, thanks in a big part to you.'' Justine offered. ''You made the right choice, forcing that monster off the battlefield. It's not an enemy you could face at your current strength.''

''That's good...'' Namine exhaled. ''...wait, Caroline called it a mad shadow...what does that mean?''

''Well, we're not sure where that thing came from.'' The girl in question admitted. ''But it's completely different from any shadow we've known. Even the other shadows are terrified of it.''

''And for good reason, that Reaper is certainly a tremendous force.'' Igor remarked. ''In that regard, you've done very well to ensure your friends' safety.''

''That was pretty much the only thing I could think off...'' Namine admitted. ''...I think...something happened in the end of the fight...but I'm not sure...''

''Oh, so you did figure that out? And here I thought you never realized.'' Caroline raised en eye.

''In all fairness, Caroline, being disoriented after that ordeal is understandable.'' Justine stated.

''I concur.'' Igor added. ''Back to your question, Trickster, that was a gift from me. In return for the fortitude and strength of heart you displayed. I call it an Overdrive skill, it's an especially powerful technique that is usable every once in a while.''

''Thank you...I bet that'll be a big help.'' Namine remarked.

''You're certainly welcome. As I said, you've more than earned it.'' He returned. ''Use it with care. Due to their bonds with you, your friends will be able to use that ability as well. Be warned though, with you, that skill only works with your very own Persona.''

''Got it.''

* * *

The girl woke up soon after that, finding herself in a somewhat familiar room. She still felt tired and it was hard to think straight so she couldn't place it. Where was this?

Deciding to find out, Namine made to head out of the room, though she stopped and shook her head, feeling a little dizzy. It was moments later that she was found by Ann, who smiled happily then.

''Hey, you're up!'' She hugged the girl.

''What's going on?'' Namine inquired, leading the blonde to explain everything. Apparently, she had been out for a day and a half and they brought her to recuperate at Ann's home, which was made easier since Ann gave her guardian time off, leaving them to handle things.

''Oh...thank you.'' No wonder the room looked familiar, she had been to Ann's home before but they hardly spent any time in the guest rooms.

''Are you kidding? We're the ones who want to thank you, you were great back there!'' Ann beamed, taking her hand and leading her along the hall. ''Come on, everyone's back here.''

* * *

The others were no less glad to see that Namine was awake, welcoming her happily as well.

''You handled things brilliantly, Namine, thank you. You saved us.'' Makoto stated.

''You were totally great!'' Morgana added.

''Oh, you're welcome. I'm just glad things turned out okay.''

''Hey, speaking of...'' The feline stood next to Namine. ''...do you know what happened? We were all wondering what happened at the end of the battle.''

''Well...'' Namine relayed Igor's explanation to them.

''So basically since you pulled through us that disaster we all get this awesome new skill?'' Ann clarified.

''Pretty much.'' Namine replied.

''That's freakin' amazing!'' Ryuji grinned.

''Don't you mean Namine is the amazing one?'' Yusuke wondered.

''Yup, definitely!''

The girl laughed a bit ''Thanks...I'm only relieved at the turnout.''

''As expected of our leader, I knew we were right to choose you!'' Morgana beamed.

''That's excellent news.'' Makoto smiled.

Yusuke had a thought ''Wait, I see that it applies well with our personas but how about you, Namine?''

''It's about the same. My connection to the other personas is different. The Overdrive only applies to Arsene.''

''Doesn't make it any less great! I bet it'd be a huge boost for the team.'' Ann stated.

''Totally!'' Ryuji agreed. ''Now that Namine's back up and running, let's have some fun!''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _So what do you think? I hope this was good, I've been looking forward to working on this part for a while. I have ideas I would like to implement in the story, not just copy the canon, it's just that they come a bit late down the line. Like what I did here. There's also another one involving Crow, but I want to keep some surprises and it's hard to explain without giving spoilers so that's all I'm going to say._

 _That trap was a one time thing and it only happened because of the Reaper. I know the Reaper's an optional boss in the game but I'm changing things up. It's more connected to Yaldabaoth and another part of my plot which comes in later. It's that connection that started the trap and let him change things that way, but it was only temporary. Which was how the party got away after Arsene blasted the Reaper into the wall. They're not going to be facing it soon. I've had the idea of making the Reaper into a Persona later but I'm not sure yet. Anyway, if it happens, that's still way later._

 _Oh now that I think about it, the 25th chapter is kind of a milestone, huh? Glad I got to work this plan out here then._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 4)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 5)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 3)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 4)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 2)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 1)_


	26. Chapter 26

Things settled back to a usual pace with the Phantom Thieves, though they had yet to determine just what happened in Mementos. The whole situation left them wary, though Morgana admitted that something was very unusual that day and he doubted that situation would repeat itself, making them feel a little better.

With the exams coming closer, Namine and Makoto stayed after school to study. Though they were naturally studying different things, Makoto offered to help the younger girl if need be and they made good progress with their work. As they were about to leave, Makoto asked Namine to come with her to the red-light district, having heard a troubling report about a student being sighted there. Namine couldn't imagine why students would go after all what happened but she agreed to go and figure this out.

''There are so many people...I guess this really is the biggest red light district in Asia, huh?'' Makoto mused. ''Apparently, this place was a hotbed for criminals and illegal immigrants before they installed surveillance cameras. I heard there were quite a few brothels as well.''

Namine tilted her head ''That's some change for a criminal area...''

''True, I've never been here before but that's why I asked you to come today.'' Makoto admitted. ''I heard a great deal about this place from my father, but I wanted to see it for myself. Regardless, it's become far safer than it used to be. Of course, the surveillance cameras played a substantial role in that...But it was mainly thanks to the police efforts to clean up the area.''

''Including your dad?'' Namine guessed. ''I think you said something about him being an officer before.''

''Yes...''

''Oh...'' The girl's tone made Namine add ''...um, sorry. You don't have to explain if you don't want to.''

''No, it's all right.'' She assured. ''It's only natural to ask. At any rate, even with all the police work, there's no way to eradicate crime entirely.''

''We'd know that all to well, huh?''

''I can't argue with that.'' Makoto agreed. It was part of the reason they were thieves after all. ''It seems operations nowadays are only better hidden...Anyways, seeing is believing yes? Come on, let's have a look around.''

* * *

''Did we lose him?'' Makoto asked, having just gotten out of a club. ''That guy was so persistent.''

Namine looked around ''Yeah, we're good.''

Makoto let out a relieved sigh ''He must have been a scout for a hostess club. He mentioned how 'his girls' get paid a lot to wear cute dresses...All I wanted to ask if any Shujin students worked there...but he nearly dragged us inside with him. I'm sorry, Namine.''

''Don't worry, I didn't expect things to be so bad either.'' The girl stated. ''Actually, we didn't handle this well. Now that I think about it, we could have tried asking Ryuji or Yusuke to come.''

''Yes, that's a good point. I didn't think of it.'' Makoto admitted. ''I'm glad you were there at least. If you hadn't acted when you did...'' She sighed. ''...I thought he seemed suspicious so it was a good chance to ask. Hm, I guess that's how they all do it...I've learned something new today...Oh and thanks again. It seems you have a knack for helping me out.''

''Oh I don't know about that but you're welcome.''

''I hope I can do the same for you someday...I can't help but find it strange. Though this is a shopping district, there are absolutely no students around here.''

Namine blinked ''Hey, now that you mention it...''

''I don't see any Shujin students, though I guess they wouldn't come in uniform either way. Well then...'' Makoto paused.

''Makoto?''

''I know that girl...'' She was looking at a girl with black hair walking into a buidling. ''...I used to be in the same class as her!''

''This doesn't seem good...'' Namine trailed off.

''Yes but I hope we're both wrong. I'll have to ask her about this. Oh, and I'd like you to be there too, as my witness, would that be OK?''

''Sure. It'd be interesting to know why she's doing this. It's hard to imagine the students not knowing about the gangs now.'' Namine remarked.

''Exactly.'' Makoto crossed her arms. ''This is certainly troubling.''

''We'll figure it out.'' Namine stopped walking. ''I just remembered...I never did go see about the fortune-teller again, you know about that request...?''

''Oh, I guess we should...'' Makoto trailed off. ''...if I recall correctly, Morgana said she works in this area too. I'm curious about this woman too...''

''Let's go then.''

* * *

It wasn't long before the girls found Chihaya in her usual working spot. She appeared pleased to see Namine and proceeded to greet her...

''It's nice to see you again. Did you think over my advice?''

''That's not really why we're here.'' Namine stated. ''Remember what I asked you about before? Well...''

Chihaya's widened at the new information ''G-goodness gracious! Her boyfriend stopped abusing her...? I don't believe it!''

''Well, I've made sure of it. Those girls are students in our school.'' Makoto stated. ''Personally, I'm happy for her. This is good news.''

''Well yes, but even if he did stop, her fate should be heading the path to misery, without changing! I mean...here, I'll do a reading!''

The reading turned out to be the furthest from Chihaya's expectations though.

''The sequence of the arcana has completely changed! Death has moved far off to the future...''

''I'd say this just proves it, fate isn't absolute.'' Namine stated.

''No, no, no! This must be some sort trick.'' Chihaya frowned. ''What are you a scam artist? You made a deal with her boyfriend or something?''

The girl blinked ''Wait, what?''

Makoto raised an eye ''What're you even talking about?''

''Well, this has to be some sort of scheme! Something's obviously missing.'' Chihaya said firmly.

''This is the sort of thing you said after making that prediction about Namine.'' The brunette frowned. After their last excursion to Mementos, that was getting to be a bit of touchy subject especially for them. ''It just sounds like you refuse to admit that you were wrong.''

''The cards showed me the future and it has always been correct. Fate is absolute.''

Neither of the girls were convinced. ''It doesn't have to be that way.'' Makoto stated.

Namine nodded ''You're good at what you do, Mifune-san but no one's infallible.''

But the blonde was adamant ''I can't believe it...'' She shook her head. ''...Fine. I'm just going to have to verify your power. The very power that reversed my tarot card prediction! This is quite a serious situation for a fortune teller like me. I need to get to the bottom of this! You won't have to do a thing just sit next to me while I read fortunes. And if another unstoppable fate happens to appear...then I'll test your power.''

''I...don't know about this...'' The girl didn't have any power so she wasn't seeing how this would do any good.

''I'll read your fortune!'' She offered. ''Please? I'll even prioritize your readings over my regulars. Besides, I'll be able to proved much more accurate predictions once I get to know you better! How does that sound? Is it a deal?'' Chihaya sighed. ''Otherwise, I won't be able to go on...''

''All right...'' Namine couldn't bring herself to refuse with how important this seemed to her. ''...if it's that much of a big deal...''

''Thank you! I look forward to verifying your skills! Please don't blow me off, OK?''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I..._

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the_ _ **Wheel of Fortune**_ _Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

Once school was over, Namine headed towards the flower shop for a shift. She had just finished a round of the group chat with her friends and it eventually settled on when everyone would be free to see about the Phan-Site requests. Though there was still a feeling of unease over their group considering what happened last time in Mementos (which Namine completely understood and shared) they couldn't just ignore the requests either.

Trouble was, they weren't likely to get any concrete answers. Namine figured they should give it a little more time before tackling the matter. Still, thinking about the Metaverse in general had Namine remember Caroline and Justine's request. She couldn't help but wonder if she could fuse the persona they asked for.

Well, there was one way to find out...

* * *

As it turned out, checking the compendium let Namine find out that she had one of the personas required for the fusion due to their last visit. After some thought, she fused a couple of her own personas before using the compendium to help complete the process to get a Flauros.

Like before, the twins were quick to note her success...

''The inmate has grown considerably since we met her.'' Justine remarked.

''True...I guess we're gotta at least admit that.'' Her twin added. ''That's the only reason she could've pulled through against the Reaper.''

''About that...'' The two looked at Namine. ''...we're still trying to make sense of what happened. All we're sure of is that whatever went down that day was completely unusual. Do you have any idea about it?''

''Not in the slightest, I'm afraid.'' Justine returned. ''Our master can't understand it either. As you may have gathered, he sensed something a potent imbalance about Mementos at the time. It was only temporary and it had faded right after that battle was over.''

''I doubt that could happen again.'' Caroline stated. ''At any rate, what's the point of worrying? It all worked out, just leave it at that.''

''Hmm...''

Justine was distracted as a thought occurred to her ''I wonder...is fostering Personas truly rehabilitation?''

''What're you saying that for?'' asked Caroline.

''It is...merely a thought. Will the inmate truly be rehabilitated if we help cultivate power within her...?''

Namine raised an eye. The usually stoic girl appeared rather confused and lost in thought, that was odd. ''Are you okay...?''

''?'' Justine blinked. ''Ah, yes...''

''Keep it together, Justine. This is the job our master ordered us to do.'' Caroline scolded. ''Or...are you gonna try and disobey your orders?''

''This is not what I meant.'' was the response.

''Don't worry yourself too much over one measly prisoner.'' Caroline went on. ''All we gotta do is get the most out of her wild card thing and make her work hard at her tasks.''

''The wild card...''

''What is it now?''

''The more I consider this list, the stranger it seems. Its writer must have known that the one carrying out these tasks would possess the powers of a Wild Card.''

''You've gotta be kidding me. How could somebody know that?'' Caroline wondered.

Namine on the other hand thought the girl may have been on to something. It really did add up after all...

Caroline quickly noticed her expression ''Oh, you too, Inmate? You're both overthinking this! I mean, even our master didn't know the Inmate had that wild card thing before we met her!''

Justine still seemed troubled but her sister went on ''Either way, this'll all get resolved if you just hurry up and finish your rehabilitation already! Justine, give her the next task!''

''...Very well. It seems that it is time for us to be serious. As previously mentioned, here is the second task you must complete before receiving your reward. The next persona we require is an Ame-no-Uzume with the Dodge Psy ability.'' Justine stated. ''You only need speak with us once you obtain it. We will be able to tell.''

''All right...'' Namine trailed off. They were more questions than answers once again. There truly was more to the Metaverse than she ever imagined.

* * *

As per their deal, Ohya requested another meeting with Namine for her work...

''...A fan site? Oh, you mean the Phantom Aficionado Website? I didn't know it was so popular with high school kids. I haven't been paying much attention to it.'' Ohya admitted. ''But if it's newsworthy. I guess I should keep tabs on it.'' She paused to take a drink. ''The Phantom Thieves must be really bored if they're going after small time criminals now. I have a theory that they're all minors and their leader is some simpleton dying from boredom.''

''You shouldn't make assumptions.''

''Hmm...well, it's nice to hear your honest opinions.''

The journalist's words made Namine remember something ''Say, Ohya-san?''

''Yeah, kid?''

''I've been wondering, I kind of imagined reporters would be more invested in their work. From the way you talk, you...just don't seem to care.''

She laughed a bit ''You hit the nail on the head. I'm not really interested in writing entertainment articles about whatever fad's caught on.''

''But they do really well, right? Some journalists who were in here seemed frustrated about it.'' Lala remarked.

''Journalists...?'' Ohya held back a wince. ''Oh, you mean Nakao and the others? You'd really lump me in with those hyenas? Don't insult me. People at work call them paparazzi behind their backs but me? I'm a real journalist! Entertainment articles are all about selling copies...the truth doesn't even matter. Nobody wants to read real news...''

''Um, if it bothers you so much did you consider changing careers?'' Namine wondered.

The journalist looked very serious then, it was a little odd for the girl who usually saw her as relaxed or jovial. ''...I've got my reasons for staying.''

''But at the same time, you...'' Lala started.

''If I quit now, it'd be the same as declaring my partner guilty.'' Ohya cut in. ''Jointly responsible...what a joke! She didn't do anything! That's why I can't quite and why I'll never give up.''

Namine was confused ''Does this have to do with whatever you were talking about the other day?''

''Yeah but it doesn't have to do with you. Anyway, thanks to you, I've had more time to focus on my investigation.'' Ohya smiled as she continued. ''I'm going to write an article that you'll really enjoy! Thnk of it as a sign of my appreciation!''

''All right...'' Both were distracted as her phone rang.

''...Mm-hm, yeah I'm off the clock...'' Ohya's eyes widened. ''...Wait, I can talk to him now? I'll be right there!'' She hung up. ''Sorry, kid, gotta go. Put this on my tab, Lala-chan!''

* * *

Despite their previous attempt to help with finding a subject for his art not being too successful, Yusuke was still determined to look for inspiration. Today, he had settled on going to the art museum in Ueno and asked if his friends would join him. He was later joined by Namine, Morgana and Makoto, who met him not too far from the museum.

''So what were you doing there anyway?'' Morgana asked. ''You were just staring ahead but I got the feeling that your mind was a million miles away.''

''You'd be correct to assume so, Morgana.'' The artist admitted. ''I simply found people watching to be fascinating. Just by observing the people as they go about the streets, you can discern quite the details about them if you know how to look. I learned that the same can applied to many things in life.''

The feline blinked ''That's true...''

''I remember my father saying something like that. Being observant really helped him in his work.'' Makoto mused, glancing at the museum. ''I never felt a need to come here but I'm curious about this place. Shall we?''

* * *

Namine looked around ''Heeeh, I know that there a bunch of art styles but seeing all those in the same place is really something.''

''It's interesting...'' Morgana cocked his head at a particular piece. ''...and this is supposed to be art how? It looks like a kid played around with colored papers and stuck the pieces together.''

The girl held back a laugh ''...The worst part is, I can actually see it...''

Yusuke looked at the painting in question ''Ah, I take it you're both not for the abstract style of art.''

''That's what this is called? Well, if the shoe fits...'' Morgana trailed off.

''I understand how you feel. The style struck me as odd too when I first came across it. Now I believe this all to relate to people's preference, everyone has their own likes and dislikes after all.''

''That's struck it seems fitting for us to visit this museum.'' Makoto remarked. ''Phantom Thieves and art seem to go hand in hand.''

''Quite.'' Yusuke agreed. ''This is certainly inspiring as well. There are twice as many people than usual. The white noise the crowd causes is actually relaxing in a sense, it helps hone my sense. If I close my eyes, it's almost as if I'm floating through space.''

''Glad you're enjoying this but I thought you'd want to stay away from noise when you're painting.'' Namine admitted.

''So did I.'' Makoto added.

''Not at all. You see, absolute silence is too straightforward. Don't you feel oddly stiff when confined to a soundless room and forced to face your true self?'' Yusuke inquired.

The three exchanged glances as they thought this over, realizing that it made a lot of sense.

''When you put it like that...'' Morgana started.

''Yeah, I can imagine how that would be comfortable.'' Namine nodded.

''I guess we do just get to noise in general accordingly.'' Makoto mused. ''It depends though...''

''Exactly. A moderate amount of noise helps me melt into the world around me.'' Yusuke continued. ''I sense something changing within me because of our visit. It seems my attitude towards art has shifted in some ways.''

''That's for the best, isn't it?'' The brunette tilted her head.

''If things didn't change after all what went down then I'd say that's worrying.'' Morgana stated.

''Yeah, I think we've been through plenty of life-changing stuff.'' Namine stated. ''This just means your perspective is changing and expanding, that's what you wanted when you moved to the dorms, right?''

''That's certainly true.'' Yusuke began to smile. ''I want to show you three one of my favorite works. This piece made me see something new many times, I would like to see what you make of it...''

* * *

Later, while she had intended to head back to Leblanc, Namine received a text from Mishima, asking her to come meet him...

''I have some great new info for you! It's about the next target for the Phantom Thieves! This one's massive!'' Mishima exclaimed with a grin.

''You're sure fired up.'' Namine noted.

''You bet!'' He displayed a picture on the phone. ''This is the guy. He's a handsome actor who's been rapidly gaining popularity lately. He's great at acting, has solid conversational skills...he's even been in all sorts of commercials. If you manage to change his heart, everyone will HAVE to start paying attention to the Phantom Thieves. He's gotta be doing some shady stuff, I just know it.''

''Well, I'll talk about it with the others and we'll look into this...'' Namine started.

''Oh, the unanimous decision rule, right? Cool.'' The boy nodded. ''I bet you'll see that I'm right, it'll be worth it.''

''Let's not get carried away here. Not all rumors are true, remember? We can't just go targeting anybody.''

''I get that but I'm sure this is right. I'm not saying that out of jealousy. I heard a rumor that a famous idol fell into his clutches...you need to act on behalf of her fans!''

''You need to calm down.'' Namine stated.

''I am calm! And thinking about it from my calm standpoint, I believe you guys can benefit from changing his heart. I mean this would be the best publicity for you! Well? Pretty good tactic, huh? Aren't I an amazing producer? Just you wait...I'm gonna put the Phantom Thieves on the map!'' Mishima declared. ''You'll be practically swimming in requests!''

''Wait, I don't think you're...''

''It's fine, really! I'm the Producer of the Phantom Thieves...not boring and defintely not a zero...'' He shook his head. ''...Don't worry, it'll work, after all, I'm the reason you guys have gotten this far, right?'' He stood. ''The phantom thieves' success is thanks to me...and they are changing the world...that means I'm changing the world! That means I'm not a zero!''

''Are you back to that again? You shouldn't listen to those bullies. They're wrong.'' Namine said firmly.

''But it's...'' He lowered his head for a moment but shook himself. ''...never mind, I guess you're right, Namine-san. I'll send you some more info to help you guys decide later. Bye!''

Morgana watched the boy walk for a few seconds before speaking ''...Do you really think he's on to something? I, for one, highly doubt it. He's just getting carried away.''

''I don't know...either way, I figure it can't hurt to look into this further. Mishima-kun is trying to help the team after all.''

Thinking of what the boy did before had the feline conceding the point ''Fair enough, let's hope he really does mean well and I'm worrying over nothing.''

* * *

After they got back to the attic, Morgana set about teaching Namine how to make better lockpicks for their next excursion to the Metaverse. It had been made easier with all the material they had been able to get and the results had been okay.

They went to have dinner shortly afterwards, spotting Sojiro leaving in a hurry. All he said was that he was having to take care of a hanging issue but since they knew they wouldn't get any answers, the two agreed not to question this. Namine prepared Morgana's share of food before getting her own and they sat down to eat.

Should the Phantom Thieves' track-record hold, Kaneshiro would come clean soon. All that was left for them was to wait and see what the days would bring...

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I originally wanted to have things with Kaneshiro's change of heart end here but I figured it would better to have more light-hearted stuff considering what I did in the previous two chapters. Anyway, I hope you like it all so far. This arc has been kind of a pain so I really am hoping I did something right here..._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Heirohant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 4)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 4)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 3)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 2)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 1)_


	27. Chapter 27

_Vangran: Heh, I'm glad I got you looking forward to the story. Now about the review...I never considered that angle before, whoa...I did have an idea about how to handle Mishima's change later but it wasn't anything like that. It seems a little extreme..._

* * *

Shiho had called both Ann and Namine to come visit Kosei with her, the school being one of the choices her parents considered. Since Shujin let out early because of the approaching exams, the girls and Morgana were able to pull this off without preamble...

''So this school's really big on the arts, how do you like that subject, Shiho-chan?'' Namine wondered.

''Most of my experience with it was in school but I think it was okay. Some of those lessons were fun.'' The black-haired girl reminisced.

''Wow, that feels like a long time ago now...You were definitely better than me.'' Ann mused, smiling as she remembered a specific lesson.

Shiho's next statement proved that she was thinking along similar lines ''That was how we first met...it really does feel like a long time.''

''Okay, let's not just stand around here. Come on!'' Ann exclaimed.

* * *

Kosei academy was quite the school. It was obviously very well built and just seeing the students proved its reputation to be accurate as a lot of them seemed preoccupied with the arts. The group had passed a trio who were talking about some sort of music judging by the instruments they had in hand and there were a couple of students painting in the studio, not to mention the hall which displayed various artworks.

It wasn't long after they left said hall that the group ran into Yusuke, who had been surprised to find them but was readily willing to help once he was brought up to speed. The artist had taken to giving them more details about Kosei and what it was like to be a student there as well as showing them around.

''I wasn't sure about Dad's idea but it really does seem to be for the best.'' Shiho mused.

''Well, I'd say needing a clean slate after all you've been through makes a lot of sense.'' Namine stated. ''In this case, it'd really help you move on. You're doing plenty better, you know? Just keep that progress and you'll be fine.''

The girl smiled back ''Right...thank you by the way, Kitagawa-kun.''

''I'm glad to help out.'' Yusuke returned. ''So what do you make of the school, Suzui-san?''

''It seems like a nice place...'' She replied. ''...but I need to see what my parents think before taking things any further...''

''They sure get along, huh?'' Morgana cocked his head as he watched her continue to talk with Yusuke. ''At least if she does decide to transfer here, Shiho will have a friend...'' He faltered upon seeing Ann's expression. ''...sorry, Lady Ann.''

''Don't be, you're right.'' She stated. ''I want what's best for her and if this is it, then I'll help however I can.''

''So will we, she's our friend too.'' Namine assured.

''Thanks...''

The girl smiled before turning her attention to Shiho and Yusuke ''So, Shiho-chan, you said something about any plans before? Because there's this one place I really want to show you.''

''Really? What is it?''

* * *

As expected, Kaneshiro came clean on July 9th. Even with the group at school, the word quickly spread about the truth of the mafia boss...

Makoto could not be more relieved. She knew their work had caused some change but hearing this just meant that it was finally over. None of them would have to worry about Kaneshiro again. As much as the brunette wanted to go and talk to her friends, perhaps see if they had heard the news, she couldn't. Principal Kobayakawa had called her to his office at lunch and she knew he was looking for news about the investigation he shoved on her.

Fortunately, she was more than ready for this.

Kobayakawa frowned at the report she handed him, having finished it ''...What does this mean?''

''Exactly what you've read. I believe that the Phantom Thieves are just so that's where the investigation ends for me.'' Makoto replied calmly.

''That's a shame...'' The man sighed. ''...I was just talking to one of my acquaintances about a recommendation letter for a great college.''

''Oh, then I can spare you the trouble. You won't have to bother, I've decided to take care of that on my own. Thank you though.'' Makoto exited the office. She had no intention of letting the man hold anything over her. The girl knew that she was doing the right thing and she refused to let anyone deter her. She was changing, changing for the better.

* * *

A little while later...

Most of the team gathered up at the hideout, wanting to meet after the news got out...

''Hell yeah, Kaneshiro finally confessed!'' Ryuji grinned. ''People've been makin' a huge a deal of it since the police announcement!''

''It's difficult to accept that the authorities are taking all the credit for the arrest though.'' Yusuke stated.

''Yeah, that does suck...'' The blond had to admit.

''It doesn't matter, we know the truth and I bet we're not the only ones.'' Namine remarked.

''People are going nuts about the Phantom Thieves online, look!'' Ann smiled.

Ryuji perked up at the news ''It's all comin' togther for us!''

''This is quite the turnaround. All of a sudden, people are expressin their long standing belief in us.''

''So this is why Makoto told us to post the calling card anywhere that might stand out.'' Ann recalled.

''Pretty smart move on her part.'' Ryuji stated, Namine nodded in agreement. ''Oh...where is our amazing Miss President?''

Namine's phone rang and she picked up, it was Makoto.

''Hello? It's Makoto. My apologies but I won't be able to join you today. I just met up with the prinicpal. There's no need to worry though. More importantly, there's a TV special about the Phantom Thieves.''

''Huh?! What did it say?'' Ann asked.

''They were talking about our calling cards.''

''For real?'' The girl was pleased.

''Anyway, my apologies about today. I'll have to see you all another time.''

''Right.'' The girls told the others everything.

''Really?! That's freakin' crazy!''

''I hope all this excitement doesn't place us on the police's radar.'' Yusuke crossed his arms.

''It'll be fine! No way they'd find out about that weird other world!'' Ryuji pointed out.

Morgana looked at them ''True. But do you remember what Kaneshiro said at the end?''

''About the other metaverse user...'' Namine trailed off. ''...it is worrying...''

''Yeah, he said it wasn't just us...'' Ann frowned.

''Eh, not gonna let it bother me. Far as we know, he was just pullin' that shit out of his ass.'' Ryuji stated.

''I hope that's the case...'' Yusuke trailed off.

''Anyway, in your face, Akechi! Now whaddya wanna do about our next target?'' Ryuji asked the gorup.

''Don't get ahead of yourself.'' Ann scolded.

''Why don't we just take it easy? We can't just change anyone's heart, you know.'' Namine added.

''Yeah, we're not gonna, not with all the excitement around.'' The boy conceded.

''There is no need to hurry though. Counting Kamoshida, that's three victories correct? We should just lay low and wait for the excitement to blow over.'' Yusuke offered.

''In that case, how about we have another celebration?'' Ann suggested.

''Good idea! We can make it a welcoming party for Miss President too. By the way, the briefcase? It's pretty damn expensive! Let's sell it and drop the cash on our party!'' Ryuji informed.

''Wow...seems like the lay low and wait idea has gone completely out the window.'' Morgana stated.

''So we can count you out then, Morgana?'' Ann wondered.

''What're you talking about? I just saying we should try and keep our party on the down low.''

She laughed ''That's the spirit. I'm gonna let Makoto know!'' She began to call. ''Oh...''

''What's wrong?''

''Hello? I hope you remember we have finals next week. Yusuke and Morgana excluded of course. If you wish not to stand out, you had best not get bad grades, OK? That is something I simply would not be able to over look at student council president. For now behave and concentrate on your studies ...we can have fun once the exams are over, understood?''

Ryuji groaned while Ann sweatdropped. ''Yeah, it's for the best.'' Namine replied. ''Talk to you later, Makoto.''

''Right, till then.''

* * *

The next day, Namine hung around Leblanc to help Sojiro but it didn't last long as he had left after receiving a strange phone call. She wasn't too worried, she knew how to handle things by now, but the way he took off left her wondering...

'One has to wonder how the Phantom Thieves did it.'

The girl blinked and looked up at the TV, seeing that it was playing news about Kaneshiro's confession. 'It was all so sudden...even the officers we talked to admit that they never would've thought Kaneshiro would come clean like that...'

'We may never know.' The second anchor remarked. 'That ties to the real issue...Are they really good people in the first place?'

Morgana frowned ''He sounds like Akechi. What's with that line of thinking anyway? If it wasn't for us, Kaneshiro would still be out and about.''

''Just focus on that, Morgana. Let them think what they want, we can't force anyone to see things out way.'' Namine offered.

''Well, that's uncalled for.'' One of the present customers remarked, also watching the TV.

''I'll say. They've been doing plenty of good.'' Another agreed. ''I've heard of this guy's bunch, they really were giving people a hard time and the police hadn't done squat.''

''Well, I bet that's what it's a sore point for them.'' A third customer stated, looking at Namine then. ''So what do you think, kid?''

''I agree with you all.'' The girl returned, feeling relieved that some people at least really did see things for what they were.

* * *

Later, the team got together at Leblanc for a study session...

Namine smiled as her friends entered ''Hi, everyone.''

Makoto smiled back ''Hello.''

'''Sup? We're here to hang out.'' Ryuji grinned.

''That's not why we're here! We need to study for finals!'' Ann reminded.

Makoto sighed ''Why am I here too...?''

''You're one of us now, so of course you gotta help us. We're in trouble if you don't teach us, you know?'' Ryuji returned. ''Right, Namine?''

''I don't know about that...but it would be nice to have you, Makoto.''

''Well, if you say so...''

''Let's leave those guys be.'' Ann said. ''Anyway, have you been here before, Makoto? You sure knew the way.''

''Once before, yes.'' The girl admitted, thinking back on her previous visit. ''It was still when we were trying to find out about Kaneshiro, I heard more about Namine's situation then too.''

''Oh, so you do know...I wondered...''

''It's awful but hearing about it was one of the reasons that I really began to wonder about the Phantom Thieves.'' The brunette mused. ''Now I'm really glad that I did...though I never did imagine that I would join you.''

''Well, we're glad you're here.'' Morgana offered.

''Thank you.''

Ryuji had a thought ''So hey, do you have anyone whose heart you'd like to change?''

Makoto began to smile ''That's a secret.''

''Aw, come on, you can tell us!''

''Back to our main goal, we need to get to studying.'' was the girl's response, making him groan. ''Don't procrastinate, Ryuji, you're not doing yourself any favors.''

''Yeah, for more reasons than one. Ryuji needs all the help he can get.'' Morgana jabbed with a smirk.

''What was that?!'' The boy scowled.

''I'm sure it can't be that bad.'' Namine cut in before they could take things further. ''But Makoto's right, we should get to work.''

* * *

Ryuji looked irritated ''What's the point of reading this book?! I'm never going to need English anyway!''

''You don't know that.'' Namine said patiently. ''English is one of the most used languages, it could come in handy. It's not so hard, you just need to try some more.''

''You're just trying to make excuses.'' Ann deadpanned.

''It's easy for you to talk, you're actually good at this...'' The boy grumbled. ''...hey Makoto, is Namine right?''

''About the use of English?'' Makoto clarified, continuing when he nodded. ''Definitely.''

The reply made him feel worse, he held back a groan and leaned against the seat. ''Great...if that weren't bad enough, what about those formulas?! I can't memorize them all...''

''Perhaps it would help if you find uses for them, just try applying them with the exercises in the book.'' Yusuke advised.

''Meh, that's way too much effort...''

Morgana gave him a look ''Isn't the whole point of doing this to put in a lot of effort so you guys would all pass?''

''But look at all this...'' He sulked.

The cat rolled his eyes ''Anyway, how are you doing over there, Lady Ann?''

''Not too bad, I guess...'' The girl returned. ''...Ryuji's kind of right though...there's so much stuff. We did a bunch but I'm not even sure it stuck with me...can we take a break?''

* * *

After preparing a meal and some drinks, the group was distracted by an oncoming newsfeed while they ate, it also seemed to be about the recent change of heart.

This time, there was a reporter facing Akechi on screen, the former spoke up 'And that the follow up report on the suspect Kaneshiro. Now, Akechi-san...This case is said to be the result of the Phantom thieves' actions but in actuality is this true?'

'Considering how a calling card was scattered about, I believe there's no mistaking that. The question is what the Phantom Thieves actually did. If they tampered with a suspect's heart, it casts doubt on the authenticity of any confession.' The teen detective returned.

'So then by tampering with heart, the Phantom thieves are fabricating crimes that may not exist?'

'We can't deny the possibility. There's no doubt that the Phantom Thieves are exposing hidden injustices in society. However, if this is done by sidestepping the law, their way of thinking is very dangerous.'

'So in a way, they're outlaws.'

'Yes, they're not different that the criminals they target. This cannot be overlooked.'

'I see.'

''I see my ass. Why the hell're we being treated as the bad guys?'' Ryuji frowned.

''It doesn't matter, people talk and there's nothing we can do to stop them.'' Namine stated.

''Yup, just let them say whatever they want.'' Ann agreed. ''More people are starting to understand that we're doing is right, after all.''

This made Ryuji remember something ''When I'm walkin' around in town, I hear a lot more people talkin' about us too. And the forum's been full of hype? Do you think we made it big time?''

''Don't get pompous over dealing with some street thug. Save it after we deal with a bigger target.'' Morgana chided.

The ex-athlete remained unfazed ''We just gotta take down a bigger one, yeah? That was the plan from the start anyway.''

''True, it may be best if we start thinking about it.'' Makoto agreed.

''I bet we'll find one in no time. The wind's blowin' in our direction and everything. I feel like we can't lose to anything now.''

''Well, we'll decide there eventually. We need to overcome exams first. Now break time's over. Let's get back to...''

''That reminds me-the celebration party. Weren't we gonna do it after exams?'' He cut Makoto off.

''...Yes, I believe so.''

''Where should we go? I feel like I'll study better if I got something to look forward to.'' Ryuji stated.

''The last one was a buffet at a hotel. We haven't gone anywhere since.'' Morgana recalled.

''A buffet?!'' Yusuke exclaimed.

''Where would be good...?'' Ann wondered. ''Hey, what about fireworks? A fireworks festival!''

''Great idea!'' Namine smiled.

''Yeah, it's that season.'' Ryuji remarked.

''That sounds good to me.'' Makoto stated.

''It's hard to ignore a buffet, but I'll take the beauties of summer. Still I demand that we feast during the festival as well.'' Yusuke added.

''I don't know about during the feast...but I think we can work something out.'' Ann returned, making him feel better.

''Do you guys own a yukata? Will you wear one?'' Morgana asked.

''That might be nice...'' Namine trailed off.

Makoto hummed ''It feels like I haven't worn mine in a long time.''

''All right, festival it is! Let's look for a good one!'' Ryuji grinned.

Makoto gave them all a stern look ''Study comes first though. I won't let you off if you fail any of them. Are we clear?''

''Y-yes, ma'am...'' He replied, the wind going out of his sails.

''Okay, we've got to get busy. Let's try to make sure none of us have something to worry about.'' Namine told the group.

* * *

Days passed and soon came the day of the exams. The first one seemed to go well enough for the most part. While they did talk about it a little, Ann pleaded with them to just not talk about the exams just after they finish them as it usually made her feel worse about her performance. Seeing no trouble there, the group conceded to the request.

Namine could understand how her friend felt. Just nitpicking at the answers even with friends would only just be troublesome once you found out you were wrong...

It was on the last days of exams that she was on her way to school when she ran into Akechi at the station.

''What a refreshing morning. How are you doing?'' Akechi smiled.

''Oh fine, how are you?''

''Quite well, thank you.'' He returned pleasantly. ''I didn't expect the Phantom Thieves would suppress a man that even the police had trouble with. The fact they have so much support online is worrisome. I'm in a bind since I previously denounced them. All the interviews these days ask me about that.''

''Fame can be a pain, huh?'' Namine remarked.

''Speaking from experience, I take it?''

''Yeah...'' The girl paused. ''...long story short, I've seen the worst side of it and frankly, I've been in a similar spot to where you are now.''

''You don't say?'' Akechi looked curious. ''To think many our age would be interested in fame but your renounce it so easily...you're quite the interesting person, Hyakuya-san.''

''Um, thank you?'' Namine was confused. ''...I just said the truth.''

''Hmm, I'd like to hear that story. Still, can we really say the Phantom Thieves are on the side of justice with just this example?'' He wondered.

''Just one example? What about everything else?''

''That's not quite what I'm getting at. People change suddenly and cause strange accidents or horrible crimes...Don't you think it's similar to the change of heart that the Phantom Thieves are doing?''

''You think they're behind this? That's crazy.''

''I thought so as well. Actually, I've been asked to help with investigating the mental shutdown incidents. One of the detectives I worked with suggested that idea. When I think about it, their actions mirror the mental shutdown cases, with the rate of victims. It's impossible not to see a connection there...''

Namine frowned a bit, there WAS a connection but not in the way he'd assume. ''I thought those incidents started two years ago though.''

''That's true.'' He conceded. ''I'm honestly not sure what to make of that line of thinking. From that perspective though, it's hard to see them as the culprits but...Ah, sorry, I don't want to make you late, I'll see you again.''

Namine nodded back and headed towards the train so she could keep going...

* * *

''Exams are finally over...I'm so exhausted...'' Ann frowned.

''I can get back to actually sleepin' in peace...'' Ryuji sighed.

Makoto gave the two a curious glance ''Huh, you must have been studying pretty hard if it kept you up at night.''

''Nah, I was up playin video games. Slackin' off is just too much fun...''

''I know, right?! I kept cleaning my room instead of studying! It might even too clean now...'' Ann trailed off.

''You two are perfect exemplars of what escapism can mean.'' Yusuke remarked.

Makoto sighed ''And I can only imagine what the end result will be.''

''How about you then, Namine? You haven't said much.'' Yusuke noted.

''Hm? Well there's not much to say. I've been trying to catch up and make sure everything would be okay. I stayed behind after school to study.''

''I've seen you at work, I think that would pay off. Well done.'' Makoto praised.

''Ah, it's over with now. Who cares about that anymore?!'' Ryuji grunted. ''What's real important is the Phantom Thieves' popularity! Ain't it amazin'?''

''It kinda feels like our time's finally here!'' Ann stated.

''I have been hearing people excitedly speculating about our next target. We wil have too choose carefully.'' Yusuke smiled.

''For now, let's focus on our celebration party.'' Ann told everyone. ''The summer festival's just tomorrow!''

* * *

The following day...

Namine had agreed to meet up with Ann, Makoto and Shiho at Leblanc before they all headed to get together with the boys and head out for the festival site. Since she had ample time before the girls would arrive, the burgundy haired girl decided to spend some of it cooking and settled on making a cake.

She smiled to herself after taking the tray out of the oven section of the microwave, deciding that it looked good. The girl proceeded to cut a part of it and put it aside with a little note for Sojiro before preparing the rest of it for her three friends, hoping they would all like it.

Shiho smiled as Makoto fiddled with her obi ''Relax, Nijima-senpai, you look great.''

''Y-you think so?'' She felt a little better when the girl nodded back. ''It's not really all that special, I'm sure...your yukata seems more fitting, Suzui-san.''

''Oh, thank you!''

Makoto was now clad in a white and red yukata with a dark red obi while Shiho had chosen a yellow yukata with white and brown leaf-like patterns and a brown obi. Ann and Namine were on another side, putting the finishing touches on their own outfits. The first had a light blue yukata with flower patterns and a yellow obi while the latter wore a purple yukata with yellow and pink butterfly patterns along with a pink sash.

''Whoa, you all look great!'' Morgana praised.

''Thanks.'' Ann winked back while Namine beamed, opening her bag for him to get in.

* * *

When the group got there, it was to find Ryuji and Yusuke facing a couple of girls walking away. They couldn't hear everything but what they did pick up was pretty telling...

''So those are the kind of girls you like Ryuji...'' Makoto's eyes narrowed a bit, seeing the boy squirm in discomfort.

''Ah, no! I-I didn't mean...''

''You seemed awfully convinced to join them back there.'' Ann reminded, silencing him.

''W-well...'' Ryuji blinked as he took in their whole group. ''...oh hey, Suzui! It's been a while, didn't know you were coming.''

Shiho smiled ''I actually almost forgot about this but Ann-chan invited me the other day.''

Ann was about to call him out on attempting to change the subject but then Shiho continued ''Ah, shouldn't we get going? Last time we came to this festival, I remember the rush was crazy. We can at least try to get ahead of some of the crowd.''

''Oh, good point!'' The blonde agreed. ''Let's go then.''

* * *

It had been a bit of a struggle but they eventually managed a decent vantage point to watch the fireworks. As Shiho suggested, the crowds were intense. It looked like the festival was a popular event for sure. A bunch of people prepared their phones or cameras to try and take pictures or even make a recording about the fireworks.

In minutes, the first volley was launched, creating a myriad of lovely colors. Namine smiled as she snapped up a picture ''Wow...''

''Indeed...'' Yusuke watched a second one create a different shape. ''...what wonderful arrays.''

Morgana stared on with wide eyes ''No wonder so many people got into this...''

Unfortunately, the overall happy mood didn't last long as it began to rain after a short while. The festival ongoers were left with no choice but to hurry and get away from the rain.

The group settled with getting under the front area of a supermarket and stood there.

Ann sighed ''This is just great...''

''Man, we were just having fun too...'' Ryuji grumbled. ''...what do we do now?''

''I'd say we should get in but I'm not sure if it would help much.'' Makoto admitted, with a glance at the supermarket behind them, it was very crowded.

''So much for a good festival,'' Ann frowned.

Namine looked around, one building nearby gave her an idea ''...Well, it did get ruined but there's no reason we can't have any good times of our own. How about we go grab a bite to eat at the restaurant over there? It's pretty close by.''

Shiho perked up ''Good idea, Namine-chan.''

''Yeah, I'm getting kinda hungry too. Come on!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

Yusuke smiled ''That sounds like a plan.''

''Well, we did go through the trouble to prepare ourselves, might as well make the most of it.'' Makoto remarked. ''Let's get going.''

* * *

 _Well, let's end things here._

 _I hope this was good. I thought my plans over a bunch and this was what I finally settled on. There wasn't really much I could say about the exams, I mean it's just basically a few questions here and there. Then I considered the changes I implemented with Shiho and I figured there's no reason I can't have her in the festival event, in the end I wound up creating my own version of the event._

 _Anyway, this pretty much wraps up this arc. Next, I'll be starting the Futaba and Medjed arc (plot-wise, I'm actually in the middle of it) so safe to say I have a few surprises in store. Heh, I did not think this story would be getting such a response or that I would be keeping it up but I've made up my mind to see it through to the end._

 _Thanks to everyone who reads my work and I hope you enjoyed yourselves. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Heirohant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 5)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 4)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 3)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 2)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 1)_


	28. Chapter 28

_Seeing as I had good time to put this together, I just decided to post it. Well here we are with a new arc and a brand new chapter, but first..._

 _Tercra: Well, I won't keep you waiting. To answer your question, I didn't really know how to fit the part in well so...yeah, they didn't._

 _Vangran: Thanks! To clarify, Akechi doesn't know who she is yet. You're right about the curiosity part though. Let's just say I've got a plan for that particular rabbit hole._

 _Here we go!_

* * *

With her having the day off from school, Namine hung around Leblanc to help Sojiro.

''Huh, now that sounds like making the best out of a bad situation.'' He remarked when she finished telling him about the festival.

''That was the whole idea.'' Namine stated.

''Well I'd say it worked. By the way, thanks for before. That cake was good.''

She smiled ''I'm glad...''

The girl was distracted when the door opened, revealing a couple of regular customers who proceeded to greet them before taking their seats...

Namine had just finished the dishes when she heard the door open and the sound of footsteps...

She poked her head outside to ask Sojiro something only to find Sae facing him from her seat. Things seemed normal and she wouldn't have given it much thought as Sae was becoming a regular. That wasn't what tipped her off to something being off, it was Sojiro.

His expression had been terse as they talked, giving her clipped answers. Sae's eyes narrowed a bit ''So that's your answer?''

''I have nothing to say about that.''

''I see...then I'll leave it at that for now.''

Sojiro frowned ''My answer isn't changing.''

''I'll do something about that.'' She retorted, turning to leave as she thanked him for the coffee.

''...She's real good at pissing people off.'' He muttered lowly, noticing Namine then. ''Don't mind her, it's nothing. She just can't seem to take a hint.''

''Right...'' She knew it wasn't so simple but he clearly didn't want to talk. ''...well then, if there's...''

Both were distracted by the TV then, hearing the newscaster speak 'These are the details of the message that was posted on Medjed's website. 'To the Phantom Thieves causing an uproar in Japan: Do not speak of your false justice. We do not need the spread of such falsehood. We are the true executors of justice...'

Sojiro frowned as they watched the TV ''The Phantom Thieves again?''

'...However we are magnanimous. We wil give you an opportunity to repent your ways. If you agree to a change of heart, we will accept you as our own. If you reject our offer, the hammer of justice will find you. We are Medjed. We are unseen. We will eliminate evil'.' The newcaster paused. 'Akechi-san, why do you think this announcement was made at this time?'

'I don't know the details, but there's no doubt that they were provoked by the Phantom Thieves. Whether it's a sense of rivalry or a simple attention grab given the recent trends, I cannot say...Regardless it's quite a nuiscance.'

'A nuisance?'

'Both Medjed and the Phantom Thieves are nothing more than groups that hold an egoistic justice.' The detective replied.

Sojiro sighed ''What a stupid thing they're getting riled up on...Phantom Thieves, huh? What in the world are they? You know about them?''

''Well, it's getting hard not to lately, right?'' Namine returned.

''True...and they did start off big in your school...''

Namine glanced at the TV for a moment, looking thoughtful ''Isn't Medjed this hacker group that's been around for years? I heard about it in passing.''

''Yeah, they used to take down corrupt companies from the inside out but then they started committing cyber crimes. Wonder what this'll lead to...'' Sojiro trailed off.

He raised an eye as he saw his charge pick up her bag ''Oh, you're going out?''

She nodded, thinking back to the text she received from Chihaya a little while ago ''There's just something I should be seeing to.''

Morgana spoke after they left ''Namine, you know he's keeping a lot, right? Aren't you curious?''

''Well yeah, sure, but he's entitled to keep his secrets just like we are.'' The girl replied, looking at her phone as it buzzed with a new message. ''...Looks like Makoto and Ryuji heard the news too.''

''Medjed, huh? Sounds like a troublesome organization.'' Morgana frowned. ''We should look into finding out more about this for now.''

''That would be for the best...'' Namine really didn't think this was a good time to see about anything else but she had made a deal with Chihaya and to top it off, she had no idea they could go about dealing with this situation.

There had to be something though. Well, one step at a time, as they say...

* * *

The fortune teller had requested that she sit through a session with one of her clients, explaining it to the client as being her apprentice. Namine didn't mind, though she had to wonder what would come of this.

''Yes, I've seen everything.'' Chihaya frowned at the client, who was a businesswoman looking to start a company. ''Hm, the cards have appeared in reverse. In other words...is seems as though your business is doomed to failure.''

''No! Wh-what should I do?!'' The woman cried.

''I'm sorry, but in this case it appears your fate is inescapable.''

''Inescapable...?'' She echoed.

''What are your thoughts?'' Chihaya looked at Namine. ''What can we do to help this woman who is so oppressd by the savagery of a male dominated work environment?''

''Well...how about encouraging her?''

''What? It's a little idealistic to expect that will actually work...Incidentally, what would you say if you wanted to encourage her?''

Namine thought it over ''...That she should try to reverse her fate. It doesn't have to be absolute.''

''That's just irresponsible, it's not an option! How can you expect her to overturn that which is inescapable?'' Chihaya demanded.

''Because it only seems inescapable if we let it be. Why can't she try to find some way? If it means so much to her, she'll just regret it forever otherwise.''

''Inescapable fate...That's right...I don't have to follow the rules of this oppressive society!'' The woman exclaimed. ''I can do it...I'll reshape every aspect of my antiquated industry! My mind is made up. I'm going to quit my job and set off on my own private buisness venture. And even if fail, at least I won't be wasting away doing busywork for that sexist bastard anymore...Thank you, young lady! If you'll excuse me, Mifune-sensei...''

* * *

''You're far too irresponsible, Hyakuya-san! Her misfortune has already been made clear!'' Chihaya scolded.

''You don't know that. I get that you're great at what you do but no one's infallible.'' Namine stated.

''Well, the cards will sure back me up!'' Her eyes widened when she finished the reading. ''W-what?! It seems the sequence of the cards has changed...Her financial future is now appearing as extremely successful!''

''Hey, that's great!'' The girl smiled.

''What did you do...? Are you...psychic? Did you use your powers to change the order of the cards?! My divine power is capable of sending people like you down to the depths of hell, you know!''

Namine raised an eye ''This again? Slight problem with that, Mifune-san. I don't have any powers.''

''But...that has to be it...'' She shook her head. ''...that's the only way this could happen. Fate cannot be changed, fate is absolute...that is how it must be.''

''I think we're going to agree to disagree. If that was true, we wouldn't be here like this. Try opening your mind.''

''That may not be such a bad idea...But it that possiblity were the truth how would I keep my Holy Stone business intact?'' Chihaya shook herself, seeing Namine's puzzled look. ''A-anyway! You've changed the flow of destiny twice before my very eyes...It seems that this verification process is turning out to be much more meaningful than I expected!''

* * *

On their way back after the session, Morgana happened to spot Yusuke near a street's corner and pointed him out to his companion. As they went to talk, thinking back to their visit to the museum had the cat wondering if he was observing people again...

''I've tried looking up information about Medjed as well.'' Yusuke told the two. ''There was quite the amount actually...''

Morgana blinked, not expecting that ''Really? Like what?''

''Well, Medjed is the name of a god that appears in a number of texts. Supposedly, it's considered a god of the dead...Ah, and the name means the one that defeats...''

The cat sighed, tuning out the rest of his explanation. He should have known...he didn't think that Yusuke found anything useful. As if things could be that easy. ''I'm sorry I even asked.''

''Well, even this isn't easy, it just means we need to look into this further.'' Namine stated.

''Indeed.'' Yusuke concurred. ''By the way, I've been meaning to ask...Lately, a few of the students in my dorm have mentioned something about a very famous ramen shop. I admit I'm curious, would the two of you join me for a visit?''

* * *

''Oh, so it was this shop after all...'' Namine trailed off. ''...and it's as crowded as ever.''

Yusuke stared at the line ''They're here for this? Strange...I've never thought much of ramen though.''

''Well, best way to let you get the experience is to go for it. Shall we?'' Namine gestured at the shop.

Yusuke's opinion was changed quickly after he finished his bowl.

''I was ignorant of the possibilities of this world...to think light ramen could hold so much depth...'' He let out, surprised. ''The gentle yet fragrant flavor explodes in my mouth...the superb noodles warm my soul...''

''You sound like a connoisseur.'' An amused Namine remarked.

''Do you think so? The words simply came to my mind. This is is an incredible way to replenish nutrients!'' He returned. ''By the way, it sounds as if you're familiar with this place...''

''Oh yeah, I came here a few times with Ryuji. It's mostly after we finish our workouts though.'' Namine held up a noodle strand for Morgana, who gladly ate it up then.

The cat hummed happily, he had only heard of the place but this really was something. ''No wonder this place is famous, this is good! Anyway, you sure got into it for someone who had no clue what was up, Yusuke.''

''I suppose I have. The truth is, I always endeavor to consume a frugal diet, so a cheap yet nutritious meal is a godsend. My main staple is bean sprouts. They are cheap, delicious and utterly packed with fiber.''

''Wait, seriously? But you can't just keep relying on that.'' Namine pointed out.

''That sounds about as bad as having to eat cat food...'' Morgana trailed off.

''Ah, no need for concern. This was an exceedingly delicious meal. Thank you for bringing me out here. I feel as though I will be able to continue performing my best from this point forward.''

* * *

A while after they left, Namine texted Ohya to see if she had any info about Medjed. What the reporter could tell her right away wasn't much but it did give her some perspective about the situation. A few things about their acts before they apparently faded into the background along with theories as to their goals now. Their talk eventually lead to Ohya telling her to come to Crossroads for another meeting...

''...A fan site? Oh, you mean the Phantom Aficionado Website? I didn't know it was so popular with high school kids. I haven't been paying much attention to it.'' Ohya admitted. ''But if it's newsworthy. I guess I should keep tabs on it.'' She paused to take a drink. ''The Phantom Thieves must be really bored if they're going after small time criminals now. I have a theory that they're all minors and their leader is some simpleton dying from boredom.''

''You shouldn't make assumptions.'' Namine said.

''Hmm...well, it's nice to hear your honest opinions.''

The tone made the burgundy haired girl decide to ask something she couldn't help but notice about the woman ever since their last talk. ''Say, Ohya-san?''

''Yeah, kid?''

''I kind of imagined reporters would be more, you know, into their work. You...'' Namine wondered how to put it but she couldn't think of much ways to phrase this. ''...just don't seem to care.''

She laughed a bit ''You hit the nail on the head. I'm not really interested in writing entertainment articles about whatever fad's caught on.''

''But they do really well, right? Some journalists who were in here seemed frustrated about it.'' Lala remarked.

''Journalists...?'' Ohya held back a wince. ''Oh, you mean Nakao and the others? You'd really lump me in with those hyenas? Don't insult me. People at work call them paparazzi behind their backs. Me? I'm a real journalist! Entertainment articles are all about selling copies...the truth doesn't even matter. Nobody wants to read real news...'' She sighed.

''Um, if it bothers you so much did you consider changing careers?'' Namine wondered.

''...I've got my reasons for staying.''

''But at the same time, you...'' Lala started.

''If I quit now, it'd be the same as declaring my partner guilty.'' Ohya cut in. ''Jointly responsible...what a joke! She didn't do anything! That's why I can't quite and why I'll never give up.''

That didn't really make much sense to Namine but Lala seemed to understand.

''Does this have to do with whatever you were talking about the other day?''

''Yeah but don't worry about it. Anyway, thanks to you, I've had more time to focus on my investigation.'' Ohya smiled as she continued. ''I'm going to write an article that you'll really enjoy! Thnk of it as a sign of my appreciation! I'll totally put my all, that's what I promised.''

''All right...'' Both were distracted as her phone rang.

''...Mm-hm, yeah I'm off the clock...'' Ohya's eyes widened. ''...Wait, I can talk to him now? I'll be right there!'' She hung up. ''Sorry, kid, gotta go. Put this on my tab, Lala-chan.''

* * *

Word spread out in Shujin the following day about the test results coming out, leading to the students heading to the bulletin boards between classes and at break for a look.

The second group included Ann and Namine, who had managed to avoid a bunch of the crowd by waiting till break time. One of the students from their class had the same idea and he proceeded to point them out to the board with their class' names on.

Ann looked at the board. ''Oh, I passed, what a relief...How about you, Namine?''

''Hmm...'' The girl was still looking up her name, pausing when she found it. Her eyes widened before she responded. ''...I'm in the top ten.''

''Whoa, no way...'' Ann began to smile when she saw that it was true. ''Way to go!''

''Yeah, you did great!'' Morgana chipped in.

She smiled ''Thanks...''

* * *

Later on, the team headed to Mementos as they agreed via the group chat, their target this time a girl who was cyber stalking...

''Top ten? Man, that's lucky!'' Skull exclaimed. ''I just made average.''

''Oh, there's a surprise...'' Mona rolled his eyes, knowing just how the teen handled the exams.

Queen was thinking along similar lines ''I thought I warned you about slacking off.''

''I wasn't! But...well, you know...it's not just for me and I kept putting it off...''

''That's called procrastination. And it amounts to the same thing.''

''Uh...''

''One of these days, he's going to realize that he can't win an argument against her.'' Panther said flatly, Mona humming in agreement.

''At any rate, that was well done indeed, Joker. I'd imagine you're pleased about catching up successfully.'' Fox remarked.

''Yup.'' The girl returned happily, turning their ride around another corner. ''I had a good feeling about it all but I never thought things would work out so well.''

''By the way I've been wondering, was Medjed really such a big deal before?'' Mona asked the group at large.

''They were, mostly because of how efficient their operations are.'' Queen replied. ''I've heard talk of how the group was supposed to be dissolved but now it looks more like they were laying low.''

''Yeah and gathering power too if they've got enough to threaten the whole country.''

''Trouble just keeps piling up on us, doesn't it? We have to get to the bottom of Mementos to help Mona, do those requests and deal with the black masked criminal and now this Medjed thing...'' Panther remarked with a sigh.

''It would if you look at things that way, the best thing we can do now is focus on what we can do something about.'' Joker returned.

''Yeah, for now our priority's Medjed.'' Skull stated.

''Sounds about right...'' Mona trailed off as they saw shadows appearing in their path and Joker maneuvered the bus so that they could ambush them.

Soon the shadows turned out to be a Jack Frost, a Nue, a Chronozon and a Take-Minetaka. The Nue immediately attacked with Maeiha, to which the party responded by either dodging or guarding to the best of their ability.

Her own experience with the shadow prompted Joker to issue a warning ''Panther and Fox, be careful. That Nue is weak to fire magic but it resists ice.''

''Very well.'' The latter returned.

Panther cracked a smirk ''Then I'll handle this. Carmen!'' The crimson dancer appeared behind her. ''Agilao!''

The powerful burst of flame almost threw the Nue down, with the Jack Frost barely avoiding the blaze but Fox caught it off guard and attacked twice. He and Joker were forced to jump back to avoid the Take-Minetaka swinging its weapon in their direction, the shadow then used a Mazionga spell, particularly harming Mona in the process. The Jack Frost began casting magic as the Chronozon lashed out with swift, vicious strikes at everyone. The party defended and dodged to the best of their ability, with Joker and Skull in particular focusing on guarding Mona and Queen, giving the latter a chance to heal the former.

The shadows attacked with magic, creating a smokescreen. Moments later, Queen rode out of it on Johanna and rammed the Jack Frost. Mona leaped off the bike to finish it off with a slash of his blade while Queen kept the shadows with a Mafrei spell. The Chronozon made to cast magic but was distracted when Joker and Panther attacked it from each side while Skull and Fox banded against the last shadow. Joker summoned Shiki-Ouji, who tackled the Take-Minetaka and with a burst of psychic magic, knocked it down. This let her along with Queen and Mona hold it up at weapon point and she had it become one of her masks.

At the same time, Panther cast one of her new skills, Fire Break. This would serve to suppress any resistance the shadows had to fire magic. Just as she made to attack again, she felt a strange, new power well up within her.

''...What's going on?''

'Interesting.' Carmen hummed. 'Remember what Joker mentioned after our last visit?'

The girl's eyes widened, suddenly understanding what it all meant. ''All right, let's test it out!''

Carmen smirked, spinning around herself once, creating a ring of fire that trapped the two shadows. Panther waved her whip around, releasing blazing waves that Carmen enhanced with a wave of her hand while she danced around them. She was keeping her magic charging while Panther struck the shadows again. The persona then raised a hand, making the fire erupt near the two shadows and causing a lot of burns before releasing the power she had charged into a final, powerful blaze that destroyed them.

Skull stared on ''Whoa...''

Mona blinked twice ''Was that...''

Panther turned to them with a grin as Carmen vanished ''Our Overdrive skill, Infernal Rondo.''

''Amazing, Panther!''

''Well done indeed.'' Fox praised.

Panther beamed ''Thanks but hey, if anything Joker gets the credit here.''

''Ah, you're the one pulled it off, nice work.'' The girl returned.

Mona smiled ''We're definitely off to a good start today, let's keep this pace going.''

* * *

They went through more battles as they searched for their target, with Mona eventually sensing it and leading them straight to the area...

''So that's the stalker...'' Skull trailed off.

''I can imagine how bad things must be if the person she's trailing asked for our help. Let's stop her.'' Queen said, the others nodded and they approached her.

''You must be the bastards who sent me that card.'' Shadow Yumeko sneered at them. ''What the hell is your problem?''

''That's what I want to ask you! Don't you even see how much trouble you're causing?'' Panther demanded.

''I haven't done anything wrong. This is just to show the strength of my feelings! He'll understand, I know it. Now go away.''

''Forget it.'' Skull retorted. ''Who do you think asked us to come? You're just being selfish.''

''That's not true!'' The shadow glared back. ''Fine, if this is what it's come to me, I'll get rid of you pests now!''

At the declaration, she transformed into a Bugs shadow that floated in mid-air. The team prepared to fight just as she cast a spell that surrounded them with power fields that lowered their defenses, Marakunda. Then she created fast and sharp projectiles which she seemingly fired at random, reminiscent of a bullet.

Mona dodged another blast coming at him before slashing the shadow twice. The Bugs shadow rammed him back on the head in counter. She was about to attack again only to be forcefully stopped by Joker, who blasted her twice with her gun. This also resulted in her being vulnerable long enough for Fox and Queen to get some hits in but then the shadow flew up and tackled them before casting Psiodyne on Skull. She flew up before he could get her in and proceeded to use the round of blasts again.

The shadow was soon forced to fly away and dodge Captain Kidd's charge, Carmen and Johanna's spells but that left her unprepared for Zorro's wind magic, which blew her back. Queen aimed carefully and cast Freila, succesfully hitting the mark then.

''I am thou.'' Fox summoned his Persona, who then used Bufula on command. This also caused the fortunate side-effect of freezing their enemy in place. ''Everyone, let's seize this opportunity!''

''Right!''

They readily acted upon this, attacking the shadow at once. Knowing that they had caused a lot of damage, Joker decided to see if she could end this now. She went on to summon Arsene just as the shadow floated up and the two struck together, moving at great speed. Each attack left a dark lance trailing in the air. Arsene snapped his fingers, the shadow was struck by a burst of magic before the lances all descended at once, finishing up for a powerful strike.

This was their Overdrive, Chaotic Deluge.

''Hey, so she's figured it out! As expected.'' Mona remarked.

''Way to go, Joker!'' Skull exclaimed.

The strike served to finish the fight, leaving the shadow to fall on its knees and transform back.

''No...I just didn't want to lose him...was that so bad?'' Shadow Yumeko breathed.

''You went too far.'' Queen chided.

''If this guy means so much to you, there's a better way to show it.'' Panther added.

''But...I don't know what I'd do if he rejects me...I couldn't take it...''

''I'd say doing stalking him would really cause that, actually.'' Mona stated.

''Why don't you try just talking to him?'' Joker asked, Panther's words had given her an idea. ''If you don't act because of fear, you'll likely regret it forever. Just start by being friends.''

''I see...'' Shadow Yumeko stood. ''...that would make sense...I should...Thank you.'' She faded away and they got the treasure.

* * *

''Man, we cleaned up today!'' Ryuji remarked.

''Things did go well...though I suppose anything would be better than last time.'' Yusuke mused.

The blond spared him a look ''Did you have to bring that up?''

After returning to the real world, they had stopped per Ann's request at a new cafe which seemed to be getting quite famous...

''So you sure about this, Ann? I thought you were supposed to be keepin' in shape. You'll get fat.'' Ryuji added.

''I won't, you idiot. I just wanted to check this place out because of what I read about it.'' The girl huffed. ''Didn't I tell you not to talk about a girl's weight?''

''No tact Lady Ann, remember?'' Morgana chipped in.

''Hey!'' The ex-athlete frowned.

''You can't complain if it's true, Ryuji.'' Makoto stated. ''At any rate, it does seem like whatever happened that day is a rarity...thank goodness for that.''

''No kidding...'' Namine agreed. They had barely made it out of Mementos that day and it was not something they were wanted to deal with. ''...I don't see this doing any harm. We had a good run out there...''

''That's true...'' Morgana tilted his head. ''...so what're you doing there?''

''Hold on...'' The girl had been checking something on her phone before she accessed one of the computers nearby. The cat then saw that she was making to video call someone but before he could ask who, the screen changed to display a woman in her fifties with dark red with some gray strands and bright blue eyes. If one looked close between her and Namine, they could see some resemblance.

Morgana blinked, vaguely recalling that he saw this woman before. But where...?

Namine smiled ''Hi, Grandma!''

Hyakuya Yuri returned her smile ''Oh Nami-chan, it's been too long.''

''I'll say.'' She agreed. ''Lucky I got to make this work, you guys sure haven't made it easy.''

''Well, what can we do? We're making the most of this.''

''And you totally should.'' Her granddaughter returned.

Yuri's eyes fell on the group as they came closer ''I take it those are your friends?''

''Mmhm, I'll introduce you...'' Namine blinked. ''...oh, but before that, is Grandpa there?''

''Wait...'' Yuri turned her head back towards the balcony. ''...Itsuki! Get over here, it's Namine!''

Moments later, her husband walked back in, perking up at what he found before greeting their granddaughter. ''This is a nice surprise. I've been looking forward to meeting your friends, though after what you've told us, it feels like we know them.''

Ann smiled as they introduced themselves ''The same goes for us, Hyakuya-san.''

''Aw, none of that stuff, just call me Itsuki. We're not for that much formality right, dear?''

''Right. Feel free to call me by name as well.'' Yuri agreed. ''Thank you all for taking care of our Nami-chan.''

''Ah, it's more like we're all doing that...you know helping each other out and all.'' Ryuji offered. ''Besides, why wouldn't we? Namine's a brilliant friend.'' Ann and Makoto nodded to this.

''Thanks, but...you're the ones who really...'' Namine looked a bit embarrassed.

''I think you're better off accepting the praise, it's certainly true after all.'' Yusuke stated.

Yuri held back a laugh ''I see somethings never change. We've been worried but all we've seen and heard proves that you're doing well, dear.''

''Oh, right. I'm trying...'' Namine offered, unsure of what else to say.

''There's more to it than that.'' Makoto half-smiled. ''I think you should both know that we've gotten our exam results today. Namine ranked in the top ten of the class.''

Yuri's smile widened ''That's great news!''

''I'll say! I know you'd do us proud again, kiddo.'' Itsuki grinned as their granddaughter beamed. ''So anything you want in particular? We'll see about getting it over to you.''

''Definitely. You've got to have a reward for this!'' Yuri added.

''Ah, I don't know...I'll get back to you on that.'' Namine returned. ''Anyway, how are you guys doing over there?''

''Fantastic! You won't believe the stuff we've seen here.'' Her grandfather returned before he began to tell them a story.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope this was good. Gotta admit, the bit with Yuri and Itsuki just came to me when I finished sorting my plans for this arc but it felt like it meshed really well and I just had to go for it. I'm planning to have them appear some more, though actually coming to the city would definitely take some time. It was just that they were all near PCs that had a video call app now, getting in touch can prove kind of hard when they're on the move._

 _Anyway, I'm not quite clear on how it was done in canon but I wanted to keep the focus on Medjed here before getting Alibaba into the picture (that particular deal starts from the next chapter). For now, I'll just keep it at this since we're just kicking things off._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 5)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 4)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 2)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 2)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	29. Chapter 29

''Looks like you're in a good mood.'' Sojiro remarked, observing his charge curiously the next morning.

Namine merely smiled and briefed him about the previous day, leaving him pleasantly surprised. ''Nice.'' He hummed. ''Good for you. I see you're breaking all sorts of expectations again.''

''Hehe, well then, I consider that good news.'' She stood after finishing off her breakfast and headed off to school.

* * *

It was shaping out to be a normal enough day, there was still a bit of a commotion over the results but over all things were relatively calm. It was at lunchtime that a surprise took place...

Morgana hummed happily as he took a piece of the food Namine offered ''I think you're getting better at this.''

''Well, thanks. Just hope you're not saying out of relief for not having to eat cat food.''

''Nah...well, maybe a little...'' He conceded after a moment. ''...so I'm just glad that you didn't listen to Ryuji and Yusuke about feeding me the stuff but that doesn't mean I'm not being truthful.''

''You said it yourself, you're not exactly a cat so we shouldn't treat you like one either. Really, a lot of stuff in the Metaverse is just too weird. I don't see how we can just go for standard logic with you.''

''Point.'' Morgana inclined his head.

''Out of curiosity though, the way you're acting, it's like you've tried the stuff. Is it that bad?''

''I didn't try it but that was close...'' The cat wrinkled his nose. ''...I smelled some cat food before, it's nasty.''

Both glanced at Namine's phone as it buzzed, and the girl took it out. There was an odd shape, almost like a cat's head in the center of the screen for a few moments. It faded away, revealing a message from an unknown sender...

?: Nice to meet you. I am the one they call Alibaba.

?: I want to ask you something.

Namine and Morgana shared wary looks as they waited to see what this was about...

?: You're a phantom thief, aren't you?

''What?'' Morgana breathed while Namine's eyes widened.

?: Can you really steal hearts?

''You think this is a prank?'' Morgana inquired.

''No...this is going too far for a joke...look, there's more.''

?: There is someone whose heart I would like you to steal. But I'm not asking for charity.

?: Let's make a deal. You wish to know about Medjed correct? I can give you information on them if the change of heart is successful. If you so desire, I can take care of them as well.

?: Do you believe in my skills? I can track down their accounts like I did yours. But this is all I can prove at the moment. I've prepared the necessary tool on my end. Look forward to it.

Namine frowned ''I tried responding but there's no receiver...''

''That's weird...just what is going on?'' Morgana wondered.

* * *

She wasted no time in informing the others about this via the group chat and they soon agreed to meet after school...

''How the heck did this guy find out?'' Ryuji asked.

Makoto crossed her arms ''There's a chance he might have hacked Namine's phone, that could let him read our group chat messages.''

''Oh man...you think, he could hack our phones too?'' Ann clarified.

''It's highly likely, yes.''

''Oh crap, I better check my phone!'' Ryuji started fiddling with said item.

''What're you panicking about?'' Morgana's question made him stiffen.

''Sounds pervy.'' Ann drawled, she, Makoto and Namine were staring at him pointedly.

''Ah-no! I just...uh...''

''Save it, Ryuji.'' Makoto cut in, clearly not wanting to hear him flounder about. They made their way down the street to head to Leblanc.

''Now we have to deal with this person too...'' Yusuke trailed off. ''...this isn't good. At this rate, if they succeed, the blame will fall entirely on the Phantom Thieves.''

''Yeah, the people will just take us as the cause for their terrorism.'' Morgana scowled.

''...Can we do this?'' Ann said after a few moments. ''Medjed on one end and now this guy, it's like things keep getting worse.''

''I say the least we can do is try.'' Namine returned. ''Giving up like this doesn't right with me, besides, there's too much we don't know here. How do we know they'll leave things at that even if we dissolve the team?''

''Good point...''

''Yeah, I don't want to let things end like this. No way!'' Morgana exclaimed, Ryuji and Yusuke nodded in agreement.

''Then perhaps we should focus on gathering more information.'' Makoto offered. ''This Alibaba person could likely get in touch soon, we'll see what we can do from then.''

''Sounds good!''

* * *

It wasn't long before they reached their destination. The cafe had no customers and Sojiro was behind the counter, seeming preoccupied with the TV, though he does greet the teens on sight.

''We were thinking about putting plans together for our summer.'' Ann informed.

''Ah, you're the girl from the other day...'' Sojiro noted.

''It's nice to see you again, my name is Nijima Makoto. I hope we're not being a bother.''

''She's our student council president.'' Ryuji added.

''Nijima...?''

''Is something wrong?''

''...Nah, it's nothing. A student council president, eh? I'm stunned. I'm Sakura Sojiro, but everyone just calls me Boss.'' He looked at Namine. ''By the way, that letter's addressed to you. This old man'll get going and leave you kids be. All right, the store's all yours.''

''Bye, Boss.''

He gave a slight wave back in acknowledgement before closing the door. The group all took their seats and Morgana spoke ''I guess we can use this place as a hideout if we do it right.''

''We do talk a lot about thief stuff here too...'' Ryuji considered. ''...you got a point.''

They turned slightly to the TV as an announcement played out, making them look up to see it display what appeared to be a caster planning to relay the news. 'We have late breaking news on Medjed, whose notoriority rose since their statement on the other day. Just moments ago, a new message was released on their website. They have announced their vistory over the Phantom Thieves. Medjed also warns any japanese citizens who praised the Phantom Thieves to stop doing so.'

Ryuji checked his phone ''Oh, come on, it's in English!''

''Let me see...The Phantom Thieves remain silent at our question. This proves that we are just. People of Japan, wake up. You must not worship the Phantom Thieves.'' Ann read.

''What?! That's bullshit!''

''Keep reading.'' Yusuke prompted.

''We are Medjed, we are unseen. We will eliminate evil...that's what it says.''

''What does that all mean?!'' Ryuji scowled.

''Perhaps all they care about is labeling the Phantom Thieves as crooks.'' Makoto remarked.

''Then they'd have the people resenting us later...thinking that none of it would happen if the Phantom Thieves didn't exist.'' Yusuke said.

''Talk about a troublesome organization that we've been target by...'' Morgana grimaced.

''Hey, Namine, what's the letter about anyway? We don't need anymore trouble.'' Ryuji stated.

''Hold on...'' Namine opened it, revealing a surprise. ''...A calling card?''

''What the...?'' Ryuji blinked twice.

''Who's this from anyway?'' Ann wondered. ''There's no stamp, someone must dropped it directly onto the mailbox here...''

''Could it have been Alibaba...?'' Makoto frowned.

''He did say something about a necessary tool...'' Morgana remembered. ''...is that it?''

''How would this help with what he said though?'' Ann wondered.

''What the hell's goin' on here...?'' Ryuji cocked his head.

Unfortunately, they had no way of getting some answers and for now, all they could do was wonder just what Alibaba's end game here was...

* * *

Things began to clear up again the next day as it was when Alibaba chose to get in touch again...

?: Good day.

HN: Who are you?

?: Ah, you responded today. Again, I am Alibaba. You are the leader of the Phantom Thieves, correct?

HN: That's right.

?: Mm, I appreciate the honesty. I take it you received the calling card? Are you in school now?

HN: I'm in class.

?: You really are a diligent student, huh? Now then I have prepared the calling card for you. When are you going to steal it?

HN: Wait, what? I think you have the wrong idea. There's more to it than just the calling card.

?: Really?...Then what do you need?

HN: The target's name is really important.

?: Is your heart thievery truly impossile without such information?

HN: We take time to investigate our targets. Partly because we have to, so we can make it work. We need info about the target, it's crucial.

?: I see...Hm, I suppose the past calling cards all had names on them. One moment.

?: Very well, I'll tell you. I believe their name was...Sakura Futaba. If you fail in this mission, I will expose your identity to the world and to the police. Well then, I'll be counting on you. We shall speak again after the change of heart.

Morgana blinked ''Wait a minute-Sakura?''

Namine's eyes widened as she caught on ''You think...?''

''It's too early to decide but this seems like an awful bit of coincidence.'' Morgana couldn't help but think of Sojiro's odd behavior lately. ''Anyway, you should tell the others about this, we need to think this through.''

''Right.''

* * *

Once again, the team got together after school, now wondering what to make of this new development...

''Does Boss even have family?'' Ann wondered. ''Namine, any idea?''

The girl shook her head ''He's never mentioned any and I don't think they showed up in Leblanc before.''

''Well, we can just ask right?'' Ryuji tilted his head a little.

Yusuke's eyes narrowed a bit in thought ''I'm not sure that's a good idea. There had to be some reason he has yet to mention any family. It's likely a sensitive subject, Namine has been living with him for months after all. The direct approach might get her in trouble.''

''That's true.'' Ann agreed. ''Besides, how would we explain how we heard of the name in the first place?''

''Oh yeah, there's that too...''

''Let's try asking in the neighborhood.'' Makoto suggested. ''Even if she doesn't frequent Leblanc, there might be someone who can tell us more about her.''

* * *

Sadly, their hopes were dashed as it turned out that no one had even heard of the name. Some weren't even aware that Sojiro lived with anyone or had any relations. The only thing that stood out was the fact that Sojiro apparently bought food for two everytime he went grocery shopping. It wasn't much to go on but that certainly stood out.

What really made no sense was that no one seemed to know anything more. It raised the question of whether the girl even lived in this area or not.

Eventually, due to the lack of info and the time passing, they were forced to call it quits for now and retire for the night.

* * *

The following day...

Namine was busy helping set up in the cafe while Sojiro had left to take care of something. It was just as she finished that she heard voices coming from outside, it almost sounded like an argument.

One of Morgana's ears twitched ''Hey, that's the Chief's voice!'' Namine looked at him in surprise. ''Hold on...'' He climbed up on a couch to look at the window. He could see Sojiro standing near the cafe, facing Sae. Both appeared to be worked up over something but all he fully caught were some words. ''...Namine, he's talking to Nijima...''

The girl walked over, also hearing Something about a deal, abuse and 'her' work along with other words like connections and legacy. Sae even went so far to mention a lawsuit and her extremely high chance of winning. When Sojiro stayed quiet, she walked away.

It was a minute later that he entered, noticing his charge's troubled look. He sighed ''Let me guess, you heard?''

She nodded ''A little...but to be fair, you were loud. I kind of thought there was some kind of trouble.''

''Yeah, I guess it's natural to think so.''

Namine hesitated for a moment ''Does this have anything to do with whatever Nijima-san came here for the other day?''

''Pretty much...'' Sojiro was expecting her to press on so what she said next surprised him.

''Are you okay?''

''Yeah...it's just something I need to handle on my own, nothing for you to worry about.'' He assured

* * *

NM: Abuse?

HN: That's what we overheard anyway.

KY: That seems really hard to believe.

SR: I know, right? Boss sure doesn't seem like the sort.

TA: Yeah...

NM: Namine, you'd know best here. Is he really the kind of person who'd abuse someone?

HN:...No, I just can't imagine it.

TA: Me neither.

SR: Same.

KY: I agree.

NM: Well, if you say so...Actually, it's hard for me to swallow.

The sudden agreement made Namine and Morgana smile, with the former feeling relieved that they were all settled on this.

KY: Now what can we do from here on?

''It might be better to talk about this in person. We're meeting up with them in a bit anyway, right?'' Morgana reminded.

Namine nodded and texted this back. They had agreed to have the celebration for their previous big success today so they were to meet in a sushi bar located in Ginza.

SR: Good, we'll deal with it then.

NM: How can you guys think of this now?

TA: I'd say it's something of a tradition at this point. Besides, with all the tension going about we could really use a change of pace.

HN: Sounds good to me. See you guys there.

* * *

A couple of hours later, the group got together near the bar's entrance and went in. It didn't take them long to find some seats but even there, many of the customers were talking about Medjed and the Phantom Thieves.

''I know we were hoping to avoid this and not bring trouble to you but I'm afraid we might not have any choice, Namine.'' Makoto said apologetically. ''It looks like we might have to confront Boss about Futaba after all.''

''It's okay, I've been trying to figure out what to do as well.'' The girl returned. ''I'm going to see if I can talk to him about it somehow...''

Truthfully, she had been apprehensive about pressing this as she felt he was pressured enough because of Sae. They didn't know what the story was but it sure sounded like the woman was trying to force him to agree to whatever she had in mind. It was also because of the fight they had months ago when she first arrived in the city. Sure, it had been thankfully uncomplicated but she really didn't want to get into something like it again.

''Well, he's definitely keeping a bunch of stuff to himself but I don't really see the harm.'' Ann said slowly. ''Actually, I got curious so I looked up Boss' name in the Nav. There was no hit.''

''I had a feeling he wouldn't have a Palace but it's nice to be sure...'' Morgana trailed off.

''Futaba does though, Yusuke and I even tried to see if we could get to her palace. We just don't have enough information to make that work.'' Makoto explained.

Said artist had a thought ''Actually, Namine, do you think your grandparents would know?''

''I'm not sure. I did think of asking them but how can I even word this into a way that wouldn't raise any potential trouble?''

''Yes, I'd imagine that would be troublesome...''

''You think Alibaba could be Boss' ex-wife?!'' Ryuji wondered. ''He musta cheated on her, and that's where Futaba came from.''

''Doubtful.'' Ann stated.

''Your imagination has run rampant.'' Makoto sighed.

''How foolish.'' Yusuke added.

''Boss didn't get married.'' The statement had them looking at Namine curiously. ''It came up once before and he told me he didn't see any need to do so.''

''There's that theory busted...'' Ryuji trailed off.

Makoto exhaled ''I'm sorry for bringing this up. You all might be right about us needing to relax. Let's just enjoy the food.''

''All right! Is the fatty tuna ready yet?'' Morgana asked.

''Just about...'' Namine paused and picked some up before giving it to him.

''Thanks!''

''Don't talk!'' Ryuji hissed.

''Well, I can't say I don't understand how he feels, this is quite delicious.'' Yusuke smiled.

''Hey, we earned it.'' Ann beamed.

''I certainly won't argue there.''

''This is all thanks to us bein' the Phantom...'' Ryuji was cut in as Ann elbowed him sharply. ''...crap...''

''U-uh, fantastic! This sushi is delicious!'' Makoto exclaimed.

''Y-yeah! The fish is so fresh!'' Ann added.

''Hmph, everywhere we go, we hear about these phantom thieves...'' A woman harrumphed.

''What rubbish.'' A man agreed.

''Ryuji, I know you get carried away but would you please try to curb that?'' Namine chided.

''Ahaha, noted...sorry, it kinda slipped out...''

Trying to brush the sudden slip up aside, they were succesful in changing the subject and had a good time while enjoying their meal.

* * *

On their way back...

''You know, with all this talk, I wonder if anything changed on the newsfront...'' Ann checked her phone and accessed the internet. ''Whoa! Guys, listen...''

''Well, this is quite a surprise.'' A new voice cut in, bringing everyone's attention to none other than Akechi. ''Hello again...''

''Akechi...'' Ryuji began to frown.

''Do you know this guy?'' asked Yusuke.

Akechi looked at him ''It's nice to meet you...my name is Akechi, glad to make your acquaintance, Kitagawa Yusuke-kun.''

''How do you know my name?''

''Well, because I'm a psychic of course.'' He laughed. ''I'm only joking. In truth, I'm a rookie detective. You're a former pupil of Madarame, right? I have actually just recently joined the investigation team looking into the Phantom Thieves. Did you see that Medjed has declared war on them?''

''War?'' Ryuji started.

''Their website was updated just a moment ago.''

Ryuji checked his phone ''English again...ugh, forget this. So what's this about a war? Did they make another threat?''

''Yes. To cut it short, they're going to destroy Japan's economy if the Phantom Thieves don't reveal their identities.''

''Say what?!''

''You're certainly agitated...''

''Well he really believes in the Phantom Thieves. I think it's just a surprise for anyone to hear of this.'' Namine offered.

''Fair enough. Though I don't know how wise it is to be a fan of groups like this.''

''What is with these comments?'' Makoto frowned.

''Everyone has their our own view, Akechi-kun. We just happen to agree that the Phantom Thieves are helping people.'' Namine stated.

''That's fair, my apologies. I didn't mean to butt into your conversation. But I must say, this is an interesting group...'' He mused. ''...Prosecutor Nijima's sister, an ex-pupil of Madarame and a few students of Shujin Academy...It seems you're all connected to the Phantom Thieves. Perhaps you have better intel than I do.'' He looked at Namine. ''Ah yes, I wanted to ask you something. Regarding this whole Medjed commotion, if you were one of the Phantom Thieves, what would you do?''

''It...more or less depends on what comes of this but I guess if things are the way they are now, I'd leave them be.''

''Oh?'' He seemed intrigued.

''Well, we still don't know what they're up to but anyway, the Phantom thieves can be a controversial topic. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion.''

''Very true...'' He inclined his head. ''...how thoughtful of you.''

''Sorry to disappoint, but we're just high school students.'' Ryuji stated. ''If anything, we wanna hear what you gotta say, Mr. Detective.''

''My profiling of the Phantom Thieves has lead me to believe that they are a bunch of juveniles. They have a relative amount of free time after school, and a hideout to slip away to. Furthermore considering Kamoshida was their first target, it seems they began their activity within April.'' He paused. ''In a way, all I've just said about them coincides with your group here.''

''What, you gonna report us?'' Ryuji demanded.

''I didn't say I was being suspicious of you.''

''If anything, you're the more suspicious one, approaching us with this now.'' Yusuke stated.

''Ah, I suppose...'' He trailed off. ''...Apologies, my curiosity got the best of me.''

''...Is this about what you said at the station? Because my opinion hasn't changed.'' Namine remarked.

''I didn't expect it to.'' He returned. ''I can see you have your own reasons to believe in them. I lack your mannerism and that faith...but don't you think my deduction was an interesting one? I bet we'd make a great team if we work together.''

''What?! The hell're you' sayin?'' Ryuji exclaimed.

Akechi faced Namine ''I'm curious to hear what you have to say. You seem to have a wealth of information. In return, I'll teach you how to make deductions. I believe that is a fair trade off for you.''

''I don't know about the wealth of information bit but I guess I'm all right with more of those talks...'' Namine remarked. ''...let's see what comes of it.''

''Excellent. Well, this has has been a valuable point of reference for me. I hope to see you all again.'' He left.

''What was that about?'' Ann wondered.

''Do you think he's ascertained our true identities?'' Yusuke added.

''Nah, couldn't be, right?'' Ryuji frowned.

''I'd like to say that it's us simply overthinking this but it may be best to be cautious from now on.'' Makoto stated. ''We shouldn't forget that Alibaba was able to discover who we are.''

''True but it's not as though he has tangible evidence to prove that discovery.'' Yusuke pointed out. ''Just keep acting normally.''

''Ann, what did you see about Medjed before?'' Namine asked, remembering her outcry.

''Oh yeah! Listen to this...'' She glanced at her phone. ''...We are disappointed in the people of Japan and their belief in the Phantom Thieves' false justice. Hence, we shall proceed with our plan to cleanse Japan. This process will commense on August 21st. As a result, the Japanese economy will suffer devastating damage.''

''For real?''

''Keep going.'' Makoto prompted.

''However, we are magnanimous. We will give the Phantom Thieves one final opportunity to repent. As proof of their repentance, we demand that they reveal their identities to the public. We will attack if these demands remain unmet. The future of Japan rests with the Phantom Thieves. We are Medjed, we are unseen. We will eliminate evil.''

''Sounds bad...'' Ryuji trailed off.

''In other words. If we don't unmask ourselves, Medjed will attack Japan? It seems they are quite the attention seekers.'' Yusuke stated.

''What are we gonna do about this?'' Ann wondered.

''If only we could contact Alibaba...'' Makoto trailed off.

* * *

Another day passed since and they were still trying to figure out what to do about their problem. The girls even tried bringing up family subtly into a conversation with Sojiro but he hadn't told them a thing. Namine tried to see if Yuri and Itsuki happened to know anything that could help but they had yet to respond to her e-mail.

''This really keeps getting more complicated...'' Morgana frowned. ''...hey, when the Chief gets back, how about we...?''

The sound of the door opening distracted the feline, making him look over to see Sae walking in.

''Oh...hi, Nijima-san.'' Namine said after a moment.

''Good evening.'' She returned. ''Is Sakura-san here?''

''You just missed him. I think he's going to grab some ingredients.''

''I see...'' Sae paused. She spoke after almost a minute. ''...actually, since I'm here...Hyakuya-san, there's something I'd like to ask.'' At the girl's curious look, she added. ''I remember overhearing the two of you talking about how your grandparents are friends with him. How has your stay here been?''

''? It's been good...'' The girl said at once, wondering where on earth this was coming from.

Morgana was just as confused but it did make him remember that odd exchange they overheard a couple of days. ''Namine, ask her about her last visit.'' He whispered.

The girl proceeded to do so ''...Does this have to with whatever you were talking about the other day?''

''As I thought, he's keeping you out of the loop.'' Sae remarked. ''What you overheard has to do with my investigation. He has information that could be vital for it.''

''? Oh, Makoto said you were investigating the mental shutdowns...'' She recalled.

''Ah, so you've met? Well, she was right.''

''Wait, you mean Boss is withholding that information?'' Namine clarified.

''Effectively, he is.'' Sae affirmed.

The girl had trouble believing that, why would he do that in the first place? She guessed her expression gave her away because the prosecutor went on ''You have quite the trust in someone who's clearly keeping much secrets from you. That answer you gave before seems vague, has he done something to earn that trust? Or is he forcing you to pretend everything is fine?''

''No, of course not!'' Namine replied firmly. ''And I don't mind that Boss is keeping his secrets, he's done a lot for me. I don't know why you would even think those things of him but he's a good person, I believe that.''

''Well...''

''That's enough.'' Startled, the two looked at the door to find Sojiro making his way through. ''Whatever your buisness is, it's with me. You have no right dragging her into this.''

''You can't act like she's uninvolved. She would be, to an extent, considering that you're her guardian.'' Sae countered.

He grit his teeth ''...I gave you my opinion last time, it hasn't changed.''

''Very well then. I have my ways of getting you to talk.'' She left.

''Oi, that's...!'' The man grimaced. ''...She really is good at pissing people off.''

Namine was all for respecting his privacy but she had to ask this time, it was getting too much. ''Boss...''

He sighed ''...Thanks for sticking up for me.''

''No problem but...what is this about? I don't know what happened the other day but she basically implied that you're mistreating me.''

''I figured it was something like that...'' Sojiro trailed off. ''...she is right, in a way. I haven't been fair to you. Take a seat, I'll explain.''

* * *

''Just to make sure, how much of that questioning did you hear the last time she came?'' Sojiro began.

''Something about that info she mentioned and a little about your family...'' Namine blinked. ''...oh and something about a lawsuit.''

''I see...''

''Erm, Boss, do you have family living here? I would have thought they'd come around to the cafe at least once in a while. Or at least get in touch with you.'' Namine admitted.

''...It's complicated, kid.'' Sojiro paused. ''That lawsuit she mentioned? It's actually a custody trial.''

Namine blinked ''Custody? Wait, so...''

''Yeah, this is about my daughter, Futaba.'' The barista stated.

''Daughter?''

''To be more accurate, she's the daughter of an old acquaintance. Futaba's mother was a bit of a weird one. Sharp witted, somewhat stern, a little socially inept but always carefree...'' He smiled for a moment. ''...but we got along well for some reason. When something piqued her interest, she'd work into the night completely focused. She was on her own, I never knew who the father was but she did her best to raise Futaba.'' He paused. ''They were as close as you could get, a happy little family. Except one day...Futaba's mother committed suicide right in front of her.''

''What...?'' Namine breathed. Morgana's jaw dropped, both stared at him with growing horror at the story.

''I ended up taking custody of Futaba. It was terrible at first. She was so depressed, she would've even talk to me. All I could do was be patient and keep trying to talk to her. She did start opening up, little by little.'' Sojiro recalled. ''If she was living normally, she'd be a year behind you and your friends. She didn't go back to that life like I thought she would...A few months ago, she started getting scared, when nothing was happening. She'd be hearing voices and even saying things like Wakaba was looking at her. She's been a shut-in ever since. She won't take a single step outside or try to see other people. Most of our conversations are through that shut door. Maybe I'm just not good at being a foster parent.''

Namine's heart went out to them ''Don't say that...you obviously care about her.''

He spared her a grateful look before going on ''What Futaba needs is a safe place where no one will threaten her and people who can be there for her. I want to provide those things for her. Sometimes I wonder if I can...''

''Well, you're still trying...I think that's worth something.'' Namine offered. ''No wonder things seemed so off here...Nijima-san can't actually blame you for this. What happened to Futaba is awful...''

''Yeah...but I would be held responsible. I'm her guardian, remember?'' He returned. ''I shouldn't have kept this a secret from you. But now you know why I had you live here instead of at the house, right?''

She nodded ''Don't worry, I understand. You were just thinking of Futaba. It's only natural to want to make her feel safe. She deserves better than this...and so do you.''

''...I knew by now but you really are kind.'' Sojiro mused, privately thinking that Namine deserved better than what she got too. ''Thanks for today, I'll close up. I need to go check up on Futaba anyway.''

* * *

 _Okay, let's stop here._

 _It feels like this would be way too long others wise, anyway, hope I didn't rush things with Futaba. There just wasn't much else I could think of to help the time process. Besides, It felt like I would drag the reveal on for no reason. I thought of having them sneak into his house like in canon but then this idea occurred to me back when I started working on this arc and I just had to try._

 _Just to clarify, Namine and Futaba are both related to Sojiro's friends and he was now responsible for the both of them. If Sae was convinced that he was in fact abusing Futaba, it would make sense for her to speculate that the same might be happening to Namine, right? Remember that at this point, she's basically fishing for information from a lot of angles._

 _Anywho, you'll see what comes as a result of the revelations here next chapter, which will be also Futaba's introduction into the story. Thanks for reading and sticking with this story and I hope you keep it up._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 5)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 4)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 3)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 2)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	30. Chapter 30

''I never would've thought it was something like this...'' Morgana trailed off.

''Me too...he's trying to be there for Futaba but now Nijima-san wants to get Boss in trouble for things outside his control. This is cruel...'' Namine took out her phone and accessed the group chat.

HN: Guys, we need to talk. We found out about Futaba today.

SR: For real? How'd that go?

HN: Well...it's best if we meet up. It's complicated.

KY: Very well.

SR: Right!

TA: Got it.

NM: We'll be there.''

* * *

'What?!''

''I knew we weren't wrong to keep our faith in Boss but to think this was the truth...'' Yusuke trailed off, stunned.

''Yeah, this is damn wrong...he really is a good guardian. It ain't his fault!'' Ryuji stated.

''It's horrible...things are obviously hard on them. I don't care what that woman wants, she can't put them through this crap!'' Ann frowned, Makoto nodded in agreement.

''Do we even know if Futaba has a Palace?'' Ryuji asked.

''We checked before you guys got here.'' Morgana offered. ''It was a hit.''

''While we still don't have a guarantee it's the same person we were asked to target, things are falling into place.'' Makoto stated.

''This keeps getting more complicated...who is Alibaba and how is he related to it all?'' Morgana wondered.

Ann looked pensive ''Actually, a while after we left school, he messaged mine and Makoto's phones, asking about our progress. I tried asking if we could meet up so we can explain things to him. All he said was that it would be hard.''

''How come?''

''Apparently, he can't go out.'' The blonde replied.

Makoto crossed her arms ''He was rather vague about it too. The only thing we could make sure of was that he knew the problem now. I had no idea what we could do until Namine contacted us.''

''That's strange. If he can't go out and he's clearly keeping his plans secret, how would he know if we succeeded?'' Yusuke wondered.

''It doesn't add up.'' Makoto remarked. ''We know Futaba has a Palace. Neither she or Alibaba can go outside and from all we've heard they're both very clever. To think he contacted us at such a time when Boss is obviously being pressured...'' She closed her eyes for a moment. ''...guys, this might be a long shot but what if Alibaba is Futaba herself?''

''What?'' Ann blinked.

Yusuke thought over the brunette's words ''It is a bit of a stretch but I can see how you reached that conclusion.''

''Yeah but it's still weird...I mean, let's say she's right, would anyone actually ask us to change their heart?'' Ryuji pointed out.

''It is a first but things do seem to fall into place.'' Namine mused.

''Yeah, the timing seems a little too convenient for it to be someone else...'' Ann trailed off. ''...anyway, I know it's getting late so should we try figuring out the keywords tomorrow?''

Morgana nodded ''Sounds good, Lady Ann.''

* * *

Since they had the day off, the team agreed to meet early to tack on the recent situation. Morgana had already gone ahead but there was something else Namine wanted to see about...

''You want to talk to Futaba?'' Sojiro looked surprised. ''Hold on, you remember what I said, right? She's not going to...''

''I'm not expecting anything from her, Boss. It's not about that.'' Namine cut in. Privately, she thought her grandparents would likely have done the same and helped Futaba if they had known about her. She couldn't just not do anything after learning what she did.''It's just...I really don't want to not even try doing anything after that story. All I really had in mind was that I could just sit outside her room and talk. After all this time, I learned that even in the worst of times, if you just have a little support out there, it could mean the world to you. I don't know I can be that, but I still want to try. So please?''

He sighed ''All right, all right. What can I say to that? Let's not go that far...'' His lips twitched. ''...we'll go on in a bit.''

* * *

''You sure about this? As much as I would love to see the opposite keep in mind that it might not do any good.'' Sojiro informed.

Namine nodded ''I know...it's like I told you back there. It just wouldn't sit right with me to not try even a little.''

''...Much appreciated. All right then.''

With that, she followed him to the house and both put their shoes at the entrance before Sojiro went to a room nearby and she headed upstairs. The girl paused half way as her phone buzzed with a new message.

?: Why are you here?

The girl blinked, now feeling puzzled. This was similar to...did this mean Makoto was right?

Namine: Is this Futaba?

Futaba: Yes...

Namine: Oh. Well, I just want to talk...I've been living around here for this long but this was the first I ever heard of you. It felt like I have to try something. Say, which one's your room door?

Futaba:...The one with the keep out tape. But you can't come in.

Namine: That's not why I asked, I told you I just want to talk. I don't mind if you keep texting me but I want to know more about you, okay?

Futaba: That's all? I...guess it wouldn't hurt.

Namine went to sit down with her back to the door Futaba mentioned. ''...Say, Futaba...my friend sort of sussed this out yesterday but just so we can be sure, are you Alibaba?''

Futaba: Oh...you guys figured it out before? Well yeah, that's the name I've gotten into using.

''Hmm...did you by any chance place the bug in Leblanc because of me? You know, because of my record and all.''

Futaba: No, the bug's been there for longer. I wanted to keep an eye on Sojiro. Hearing about you just made me all the more careful about using it.

''I see...''

Futaba:...I don't get it. Why would you want to know more about someone like me?

Namine blinked ''Someone like you...? Well, I don't really need a reason. I probably would've done this if I heard about you before. Boss never told me he had any family but we kinda figured it's because of my reputation.''

Futaba: That would be a deterrent but you don't seem like the person I expected to come. When I heard a delinquent with a record would come, I figured you might look more...dangerous.

''Afraid you were wrong on all accounts.''

Futaba:...Do you really think you can help me?

''Yeah and you can be sure I'll try my best to do so.''

Futaba:...This is because I've threatened you and your team, huh?

''I can't speak for the others but I would say that motivated us into action. But I honestly want to help out here and not because of the Phantom Thieves.''

Futaba: Then why?

Namine looked saddened ''Is it so strange for someone to want to help you...? What happened to you is beyond cruel and uncalled for. I can't believe you killed your mom, Futaba.''

Futaba: Well, it's true. I...I killed her. It's all my fault. Now I'm getting Sojiro in trouble too...it would've been better if I was the one who died that day...

''...Don't say that. I'm sure Boss would disagree. He obviously cares about you a whole lot, I could tell from the way he talked.''

Futaba: I don't deserve it...I...

Namine's heart went out to the girl. ''Futaba...'' This was all so terrible. ''...hey, how about a little trade-off? I'll tell you about myself and you tell me about you.''

Futaba: ? Okay...not much to tell though...

''I'll be the judge of that.'' The older girl returned. ''Well...the truth is, a few months ago I woke up from a two year long coma. After a burglary incident that could have gotten us all killed. But when I was heading home from the doctor's I found a woman being harassed by a drunk, so I stepped in to help her. That drunk stumbled and hurt himself but he blamed me. He forced everyone involved to play along with this and had all the people fooled.'' She paused. ''Basically my life in that town ended...my parents think I'm the criminal I was made out to be and I deserve what I'm getting completely.''

Futaba:...They told you that?

''Mm, there's more things you're better off not hearing.'' Namine stated. ''Effectively, all the people I grew up with decided they wanted nothing more to do with me. The only ones who even tried to understand are my grandparents, they were a real rock for me...'' She blinked. ''...Actually, I wonder if you've seen them before. Boss told me they were regulars in Leblanc before they started traveling. They're good friends.''

Futaba: Hm...Wait, I think I know who you're talking about. You kinda look like that lady.

The girl's lips twitched ''Yeah, people tend to tell me that. It brings me to another reason, I think they'd want to help you too if they knew about this. They helped raise me after all. Anyway, I know he did it because they asked him to but Boss took me in. Even when he was strict, he was fair...''

Unbeknownst to the girls, Sojiro had arrived to see what was going on then, hearing Namine go on. It sounded like the girl figured that Futaba wouldn't be comfortable talking and so they got each other's contact info. And from what he was hearing, Namine seemed to have taken to just telling about herself to start.

That was already a good way to handle it, he remembered how pushy some of the doctors got and of course, it made Futaba close up on herself even more...

''...For someone who's effectively been abandoned, Boss gave me a chance. He actually heard me out and we talked plenty and he even started teaching me...''

Sojiro paused at the stairs, seeming surprised. It hadn't been much, did it really mean so much for her?

Futaba: Wait, what do you mean abandoned?

Namine blinked ''Ah, right I didn't explain...See, the night of my arrest was the last I heard from my parents.''

Sojiro's eyes widened at this, it was certainly news to him...They never even tried to contact her?! But it was months ago now, Namine could have died for all they knew...what on earth...

A thought occurred to him then. Was this what she was talking about the other day? She had said how he had yet to give up on Futaba...

Futaba: Whoa, what? After that awful stuff they said...they didn't do anything?

''I said it, right? Someone who's been abandoned...''

He had to admit, he could understand where she was coming from. They had turned their backs on her for sure...this was cruel...And it was sad that Namine was moved by something so small as him being her guardian. He really didn't think he did much for her...

''...But that's just why I want to help you two. I think you deserve a lot better than what you got and if there's some way I can make sure it would happen, I'm definitely going for it.'' Namine finished.

Futaba:...How are you so strong? People turned their backs on you too...but you still kept going...

''Honestly, I'm not sure...I just did what I could at the time.'' Namine admitted. ''I don't know if I'd call myself strong either, Futaba...You didn't see what I was like at first, I was a mess. I just...it was the only way I could see...''

Futaba: You say that but it sure doesn't look that way.

''Well, I guess so...I've had some really good help.'' Namine smiled as she thought of her friends and other people she came to know, like Yoshida and Takemi. ''I could help you out, if you'd let me.''

Futaba: That's...it won't do any good...I can't...there's no point.

''What do you mean?''

Futaba: I'm just an inconsequent person...no maybe even less than that. I'm the monster who killed Mom...I don't deserve help.

Namine frowned ''What? That can't be...''

Futaba:...You don't know what happened. I'll follow on our deal now...

Futaba: Sojiro told you the gist, right? There's a lot more...After Mom...died, everyone blamed me. They said I drove her to kill herself...My family didn't want me. They all condemned me...kind of like your parents did.

Namine felt sick at the thought, things were awful with her and her parents. She didn't want anyone to experience that sort of situation...

Futaba: They all said everything was my fault...that I was a horrible daughter and I drove Mom to commit suicide. That I'm the monster who destroyed her...I'm nothing but a dead weight that she just couldn't take anymore. My uncle...they all said I was better off dead.

Futaba:...They were right, it's all my fault...it's like my uncle said...it would've been better if I wasn't born, Mom would be alive and happy...she would've done all she wanted with no one to slow her down. I should've been the one to die that day. Maybe I will in that tomb...

Futaba: There you have it. I don't deserve anyone's help. I'm just a burden on Sojiro too.

''W-why...?'' Namine couldn't take her eyes off the messages. She knew Futaba had it rough but she never imagined it would be this bad. The girl actually believe the awful things those people told her. It was even worse to think that this had been going on for so long...

Sojiro had been about to leave when he happened to glance back at Namine, noticing something that had him stop in his tracks.

Futaba: Wha-hey, are you...crying?

Namine blinked before rubbing at her face, finding that the girl was right. She hadn't even noticed the tears till then...''S-sorry...'' She wiped her eyes. ''...I didn't even realize...you probably don't want a stranger's pity and all. It's just so cruel...I really don't think it's right to blame you, Futaba. I can't agree to that.'' She bit her lip. ''I have a feeling there's more to it.''

Futaba: I...but it's...I can't...

She smiled a bit ''...It's fine. I won't pressure you to say anything, but I won't give up like this either. Is it okay if I come to talk again?''

Futaba:...Yeah...

''Great, then you can be sure I will.''

Sojiro went back down, this had gone more different than he imagined.

Once again, his opinion of his new charge was elevated. To think this was why she wanted to try all along. He was certainly convinced of one thing now, Namine had a heart of gold. The barista resolved to make sure that he would do what was right for her in return as well.

* * *

Shortly afterwards, she went to meet up with the others at a park...

''There you are.'' Ann gave her a curious look. ''Did something happen?''

''Ah, sorry. I was just thinking...'' Namine thought it was better to talk about what she heard later, though there was no denying that it was weighing on her. ''...Anyway, shall we get started?''

''Sure. You know, I think Makoto had the right idea about Futaba.'' Morgana informed the group. ''I tried to spy on her last night and from the looks of it she's really good with computers. From the looks of those books and her work, she's seriously smart. She was trying to look into Medjed too. I heard her say something about hacking their site...''

''I see. It all really does seem to fall into place.'' Yusuke remarked.

''How? Why would she ask us to change her own heart?'' Ryuji demanded.

''Is it really so surprising after what we learned yesterday?''

''But I thought only evil people had Palaces...''

''So did I. I get why she would really like some help but to go this far?'' Ann looked skeptic.

''I don't know about that...'' They looked at Namine. ''...Mona, correct me if I'm wrong but Palaces form because of corrupted desires. Makoto once said it's like removing a tumor from a sick person. That doesn't mean all the targets have to be bad...some can be just misguided. Right?''

The cat nodded ''As sharp as ever, Namine. Yusuke's thinking along the right lines, hearing her story, it would be understandable to want to change her cognition. That's why Futaba needs our help.''

''Well then, let's begin.'' Makoto activatede the Nav. ''So, the location would have to be Boss' house...but the distortion...?''

''About that...'' Morgana frowned a bit. ''...after what I heard last night...I think we should try to connect it to a place of death.''

''A place of death?'' The teens were alarmed. Makoto's brow furrowed ''Don't tell me she...''

Morgana knew what she was going to say and he decided to carry on ''I'm hoping that's wrong but can we try anyway?''

Nodding, the brunette began to think ''How about...a graveyard?'' No good.

''A crypt then?'' Ann suggested, but it was also a failure.

''Perhaps a burial ground.'' Yusuke offered.

''No good. Cemetery?'' Ann tried again. Neither attempts were correct.

Namine remembered something Futaba mentioned ''...Makoto, what about a tomb?''

The girl put in the word, starting as they got a hit. ''It's a hit. Get ready!''

* * *

The strange part was, instead of landing near the Palace, the Phantom Thieves came to be in a desert. Since Mona could sense it close though, it seemed similar to their last Palace excursion so the cat transformed and they got a ride to the destination.

''It's so hot...'' Ryuji wheezed.

The others felt similarly, all worn and drained by the intense heat. Yusuke grimaced ''How did even happen?''

''Nothing about this world makes much sense, remember?'' Ann sighed. ''This is awful...''

''No kidding, Mona, don't you have some AC?'' Ryuji demanded.

''It's supposed to be working.'' Mona responded. ''I just don't see how with all this heat...''

He groaned ''Aw come on! Are you even trying?''

''Are you calling me a liar?!''

''Is it actually on?'' Ann wondered, frowning.

Mona wasn't about to take that lying down ''You too, Lady Ann? Oh come on!''

''You can't complain if it's true.''

''Took the words right out of my mouth.'' Ryuji agreed.

''Oi, that's-!''

Makoto looked annoyed ''Would you all just stop? This isn't helping!''

''If anything, it's just making it all worse for everyone.'' Namine added.

''Well...'' Ann blinked, noting how Ryuji and Yusuke leaned closer all of a sudden. It suddenly made sense when she looked down at her top and saw that her bra was beginning to show under her white shirt. Since they were all sweaty, Makoto had a similar problem while Namine's was lessened since her clothes made it less obvious.

Seeing how engrossed they appeared left her all the more annoyed. She grabbed a lever and pulled ''Take this!''

Suddenly, the two were thrown back against the seat. ''Gah! What the hell?!'' Ryuji cried out.

Namine sighed ''Serves you both right.''

Ann harrumphed while Makoto spared the boys a dark look ''I'll say, you Idiots.''

Thankfully, it wasn't long after that they arrived at the Palace. The tomb loomed over them, seeming particularly prominent in the area.

''It's huge!'' Ryuji stared up at the building.

''My, that's quite a Palace...'' Yusuke trailed off. ''...Beautiful. The golden ratio is perfect.''

''Man, this is even worse!'' Ryuji exclaimed, referring to the heat. ''All the more because the AC was useless!''

''I told you, there wasn't much I could do!'' Mona retorted.

''Ryuji, leave him alone. He's telling the truth.'' Makoto stated, aware of how ACs work. ''Let's just focus on what to do here.''

''Yeah, come on, the weather inside has got to be better than this.'' Ann remarked, leading their way to the entrance. ''By the way, I've been wondering about why our soul armor hasn't appeared yet. I mean even Morgana's changed form.''

''Good observation, Lady Ann. This is standard for me but the soul armor indicates that the Palace ruler sees us a threat.'' Mona explained.

Ryuji blinked as it added up for him ''Oh so since Futaba wants us to pull this off, we're in the clear?'' He began to grin when the feline nodded. ''Nice! This'll be a cinch.'' His eyes widened as the temperature suddenly got cooler. ''Whoa, this is much better!''

''It might be because Futaba's room has an AC running.'' Morgana stated.

Namine couldn't help but think of what the girl told her before ''So this is how she sees her room...they really pushed her that far.''

''Yeah...'' Makoto frowned. ''...it'll be fine once we finish this. She even wants us to succeed, let's go.''

The girl nodded back and they began getting up the stairs. It wasn't long before they found someone waiting there.

It was a girl dressed in a fancy egyptian outfit, similar to that of royalty, she had orange hair and golden eyes. Her expression remained impassive as she stared down at the group.

''That's Futaba's Shadow...'' Morgana trailed off.

''Those who plunder my tomb...why have you come?''

''What're you sayin'? You want us to steal your heart, right?'' Ryuji reminded.

''If you think you can, feel free to try.'' The shadow retorted.

''That's rather defitant.'' Morgana remarked.

''Perhaps she's one of those tsundere types.'' Yusuke tilted his head.

''What does that have to do with anything? She's not making any sense. Why...'' Makoto started.

Shadow Futaba spoke up ''Considering the state of my Palace...there is no way you can steal it.''

A moment later, some voices resounded around them.

 _'Creepy.'_

 _'You killed her.'_

 _'It's your fault.'_

 _'Murderer...'_

 _'You're a jinx.'_

Namine thought back to her conversation with the girl in the real world. Was this what she had been talking about? People had been telling this kind of thing for years?

''What is this?'' Yusuke frowned.

''Don't tell me...'' Morgana started.

The shadow held her head ''Yes...it's my fault. I'm the one who killed my mother.''

''Wait, none of her family would take care of and that's why Boss stepped in, right? So it's all because they blamed her for this?'' Ann concluded.

''It's looking that way.'' Yusuke agreed.

''How could they? There's no way it's her fault...'' Namine trailed off.

''Yeah, it's cruel, she's the one who made that choice.'' Makoto stated. ''So those voices are...''

''Yeah, I'm guessing they're part of her cognition relating to what happened after her Mom's suicide.'' Morgana's eyes narrowed.

''You mean people actually told her this stuff? That's messed up!'' Ryuji scowled.

The voices continued on relentlessly. _'You're nothing but a burden.'_

Namine refused to just listen to any more of this ''That's not true! You don't have to listen to any of that, Futaba. It's all so wrong. I can't imagine how hard it's been for you but this doesn't have to go on, don't believe them.''

''That's why you contacted us, isn't it? You know something's wrong, we can change that. That's also why you need to let us do so.'' Mona added.

''You haven't done anything wrong, so you shouldn't blame yourself. If anything, they're the ones who messed up here. Have some faith in us.'' Makoto requested.

''Futaba, please...'' Namine stepped up. ''...I know it's hard but the fact that you desire this change is good. Don't give up yet. What do you really want to do?''

''I...'' The shadow stiffened as the voices played out.

 _'What a monster.'_

 _'That's right, you should have died instead.'_

''...That's right. I killed my mother so...'' Shadow Futaba started. ''...I don't have the right to live.'' A second cry sounded out, startling everyone. ''My mother exists here. I will remain here. I will do so until I die.''

''Don't say that!'' Ann started.

''What do any of you know? Go away!'' She cried out.

Just then, a wave of force pushed the group back far away from her, the shadow disappeared right then.

''What's happening?'' Yusuke started as their soul armor appeared. He tried to step forward but it was like something was repelling them. They could hardly make much moves.

The area began to shake, Mona had a bad feeling as the force keeping them away was getting stronger ''This isn't going anywhere, we better leave before she makes things worse!''

''Eh? But...'' Panther started.

''There's no choice,'' The feline insisted. ''Futaba's the Ruler, remember? She's determined to keep us away. Who knows what else might happen because of that. Joker!''

Their leader nodded back ''Let's go...this is all we can do for the moment.''

* * *

Ryuji frowned at a TV screen in a nearby shop as it displayed news about Medjed and the Phantom Thieves ''Damn, what was that about? She asks us to come and then she does this?''

''There's no point wondering about it. We'll just have to reach out to her somehow.'' Makoto remarked.

''Agreed. I'd say this just means there's more to Futaba than meets the eye.'' Yusuke stated.

''Sounds about right.'' Morgana agreed.

''This is turning out to be some summer, huh?'' Ann exhaled.

''No kidding, I mean here we are, fighting world class hackers and looking for treasures in pyramids!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

She spared him a look ''Would you take this seriously? We're being threatened.''

His response that he had no intention of letting anyone bring his mood down at the moment ''Yeah, yeah, I know.''

Ann rolled her eyes ''You sure are cocky for a pervert. Don't think I forgot what you guys tried before.''

''Aw, shut up!'' Ryuji retorted. ''It was a nice view...''

''Way to prove her point.'' Makoto said flatly while Namine sighed.

''Oh, he can't do anything about that. Just to be clear, you can expect some good payback.'' Ann declared.

Ryuji looked unnerved, he really didn't want to imagine what sort of revenge she could dish out. ''A-anyway, we can still pull this is off before the time limit, right?''

It was a transparent attempt to change the subject and they all knew it. Morgana just rolled his eyes ''Could you be more obvious? It does serve you right. I, being a gentleman, didn't look.''

''It's not like you could back then.'' Namine reminded, pointing out the fact that he had been transformed.

''Isn't it more like he had a better chance then?'' Ann wondered.

Morgana stiffened for a moment ''Uh...well, I...I don't know...''

''That's a pretty clear answer, Morgana.''

The cat lowered his head at Namine's words, conceding the point. ''Sorry...''

The girl decided to let up at that. After all, he at least tried to apologize, which was more than could be said for some others. ''Anyway, I guess we'll just have to take it slowly. Trying to force things would likely just make it all even worse for Futaba.''

''Right. I'd say she dealt with enough pushy people already. If we do this, we should do it right.'' Makoto stated.

''We can pull it off, no doubt.'' Morgana declared.

''I concur. It's certainly hard to stomach letting things end differently.'' Yusuke remarked.

''Yeah, we've got this!'' Ann exclaimed, the rest nodding back.

This might have proved to be a setback in the end but they weren't to be deterred just like that. It would not be easy but they would fulfill their goals of saving Futaba and stopping Medjed. None of them had a speck of doubt there.

* * *

 _Well, I'll stop here._

 _I honestly intended to add more but this seems like a pretty good point to end the chapter. All in all, how was it?_

 _Considering the changes I already put in, it just didn't feel like I could just take the canon route and leave it at that so here we are. With Futaba's situation as is, I don't know about hurrying things up and I kind of wanted to include some other stuff besides the Palace. Since she stood up for him with Sae, Sojiro's also showing faith in her by agreeing to let Namine talk to Futaba. Namine's parents have made their stance clear that night so it really has been Yuri and Itsuki's support that helped her make it through the trouble before she arrived to the city. It's just another reason she wants to help Sojiro and Futaba. It will be expanded on somewhat later but Namine will keep visiting Futaba to try and reach out to her and I'll have their talk explained to everyone soon, I just couldn't fit it well with this chapter._

 _Ah...well, that's all I can think of now but if there's any questions, feel free to ask. I hope you like it. Thanks for reading!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 5)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 4)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 3)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 2)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	31. Chapter 31

_Vangran: I know, right? That's the exact kind of impression I got. When I started this, I tried fitting Namine's parents in but not one way seemed right. They're going to be mentioned more later as I explain more about the situation. For the record though, Namine's official guardians are effectively Yuri and Itsuki. They've just delegated things to Sojiro for reasons mentioned earlier._

* * *

As they were leaving school, Namine happened to find Makoto in a seemingly pensive mood near the gate.

''Hey, what's up?''

''I was thinking...do you remember that student we saw in the red light district?'' Makoto wondered.

Namine thought back ''Oh yeah, the one walking into that weird place?''

''Right. Would you come with me? I'd like to talk to her now.'' The brunette smiled when the younger girl nodded. ''Thank you, it'll be nice to have you there.''

* * *

''Takao Eiko-san, you've been spending time in the red light district, haven't you?'' Makoto inquired. ''We saw you there before. Based on where you were heading, we assume you're working at a store called the After School Salon. How is it, working there?''

''Whaddya mean? It's just a normal cafe, they make me wear a costume and stuff, but that's it. Oh and I don't hafta do anything weird, if you know what I mean. It's all totally legal.''

Makoto's brow furrowed ''Hm, so you're sure nothing strange's going on?''

''Yup, yup the worst I get is some weird old guys gawking at me.'' Eiko stated.

''I see...beyond that though, why are you working there?...How's your financial situation?''

''Um, fine? I mean, I can just ask my parents for cash whenever I want.''

''O-oh, I see...'' Makoto trailed off.

''But they'd totally bug me about what I'm buying it for then, that's why I'm working at the salon.'' Eiko went on. ''I get some good spending money, plus the guys who come in like mega pamper me.''

''Mega...pamper?''

''It's nice having people treat you like you're special, y'know?'' The girl nodded. ''I'm sure a super honor student like you get it all the time though. Anyways...are you gonna tell on me? You even brought a witness today...''

''Um, that's not why I'm here.'' Namine offered. ''We were worried. You know, with the area being what it is...and all the trouble because of Kaneshiro. We only heard they were students around there and it seemed like bad news.''

''Ohhh...well, there's nothing to worry about.'' Eiko got a bemused look. ''Just to check, you two aren't...you know, like that, right?''

''No!'' Makoto exclaimed, while Namine looked too bewildered to respond. ''Where would you even get that idea? We're friends! Namine was helping me with a favor.''

''Really? Well, for the rumored criminal, you're pretty nice then...though I guess it proves what people say about all the talk being a bunch of hot air...''

''Yes, the rumors are all completely false. She's nothing like that.'' Makoto stated. ''I was just worried you were getting wrapped up in shady buisness so she's here for support.''

''Hmm...whatever. I was wondering...'' Eiko remarked. ''...is that a Buchimaru-kun pencil case?!''

Makoto blinked ''Huh? You know about Buchimaru-kun?''

''I had like, tons of Buchi stuff back when I was a kid. What a blast from the past! Wait, why's it so beat up?''

''Well, it was given to me when I was still in elementary school...'' Makoto admitted regretfully. ''...I'd like to buy a new one but they've stopped selling Buchimaru-kun merchandise.''

''OMG, this is too hilarious!'' Eiko smiled. ''The student council president has an adorable pencil case? My image of you has done like a complete 360 today.''

''Umm...isn't that a full circle?''

''Mmm, I dunno, I'm just real surprised. You don't really look like the kinda person who'd be into that stuff.'' Eiko stated. ''I mean I always thought you were kinda like a robot but I guess I just had to get to know you better. Hey, what don't we trade phone numbers? I really wanna talk to you more about Buchimaru-kun...and maybe even a possible boyfriend if you get one.''

''Oh, um...okay.''

''Saved! Oh crap, it's already this late? I've gotta get to work!'' Eiko paused. ''I'll send you tons of pics of my Buchimaru-kun collection later though, bye byeee!''

* * *

''That was some talk...'' Namine glanced at Eiko's retreating figure.

''She was all over the place.'' Makoto remarked. ''I'm kind of in shock, she thought I was a robot.''

''Don't let it get to you. She just didn't know you well.'' Namine stated.

''That's just it, though. It's likely what others think of me as well.'' Makoto stated. ''I thought I had changed after the incident with Kaneshiro, but perhaps it wasn't enough...''

''Well, you're working on that, aren't you? Broadening your horizons. You're the one who said it'll help you get new perspective.''

She half-smiled ''So I did...that aside, it was almost inspiring to meet someone so distinct from myself. I'm going to try and look at things a little differently from now on.'' She paused. ''And well, I think that will help me break out my shell. I hope you're ready, I'm going to show you how useful an honor student can really be.''

Namine smiled ''Looking forward to it!''

* * *

A little while later, after receiving a text from Yusuke, Namine headed out to meet him at a church...

''Our prior theme, love...It proved to be quite useful for me...'' Yusuke remarked.

''Oh, that's good...'' Namine recalled how their attempts to find him something to paint were difficult. ''...I wondered, that's one vast theme to choose from.''

''I agree but even after that troublesome turnaround, I found inspiration. After our enlightening session, I once again attempted to paint. However, nothing I put on the canvas was to my satisfaction. Before the gods of art, I am naught but a lost sheep. Which is why we have come here.''

''?''

''Our theme today shall be anguish! I shall paint the anguish Christ felt as he bore the sin of mankind! I have seen various sculptures and paintings on the matter...but replicating them won't do. Would any believers be willing to model and help me capture the true essence of anguish?'' There was no response. ''I suppose not...well then, Namine, you shall be my model.''

''...I'm good for helping you but my opinion on the nude painting is not going to change.'' She said flatly.

''I'm well aware of that and I wouldn't ask you either. Being found stark naked in a church would be even bigger news than the Phantom Thieves. Now then, let us begin. Show me a pose that will put the anguish of Christ on full display.'' Yusuke requested.

Namine blinked ''Umm, that's kind of vague...like what?''

''Ah yes, my apologies. Perhaps this would help.'' Yusuke took out his phone and showed her a few pictures. ''How about this one?''

''Ah, I guess so?'' She went to try it out.

''Almost, raise your hands higher, please.'' Yusuke said. ''Yes, give more anguish! Bring it to its upper limit!''

''Hold on...''

''Ah, that's better! This is the Passion of Christ...Forsaken by his disciples, abhorred as a criminal by the public, pierced with nails and hung on the cross...'' He tried the same pose. ''...I understand now...It feels as if though something is boiling up within me!''

The priest walked over ''What're you children doing?''

''Well...this is an art study.'' Yusuke answered.

''Art? That...?''

''I am attempting to paint anguish, so I decided to use the crucifixion of Christ as a point of reference.''

''So you're interested in the anguish of crucifixion? While it is true that Jesus' crucifixion on the cross is a symbol of deep suffering. It also bears a much more positive message, of resurrection and forgiveness.''

''Resurrection...Forgiveness?'' Yusuke echoed. ''I'm not sure I understand...Those ideas are contradictory to my conception of anguish.''

''It may be difficult to grap but they are all connected.'' He returned.

''Oh! I think I kind of get it...like how even in hard times people learn and become stronger?'' Namine offered. ''Suffering happens but if you get over it, it's like you can start fresh...and maybe even forgive.''

''Well put.'' The priest said. ''You're wise beyond your years, young lady.''

''Thank you...''

He looked at Yusuke ''And by the way...I suggest you contain your excitement here, you may trouble the congregation.'' He left.

''So those shocking depictions were actually meant to represent forgiveness not pain. Hm...hope from anguish. I'm not sure I understand.'' Yusuke admitted. ''You seemed to follow what he said well, Namine. Do you know?''

''In a sense. Have you ever heard that saying, that there's a silver lining everywhere? It's like the effect of our work in the Metaverse. The targets cause suffering and sometimes they suffered so much but once we're done they find their way, they find hope...at least that's how it feels to me.''

''I see...as always you have such an interesting perspective. I must learn more about the hearts of men. Namine, do you think I will be able to capture the truth someday?''

The girl didn't doubt her answer ''Yup! Just have faith.''

''...Indeed. If I do not have belief in my own abilities, I will never come to accomplish anything.'' He paused. ''This is exceedingly strange though. Spending time with you has helped me discover new aspects of myself. You are perhaps...a mirror of sorts. If there is anything I can do in return, please let me know. I wish to repay your kindness.''

* * *

The next day...

After going to check up on Futaba, Namine headed out to the flower shop for a shift due to her part-time job. It was around that time that she was found by someone she hadn't expected to see there: Haru.

''I thought I saw you.'' The girl smiled as they both stopped once Namine finished things up. ''It's been a while, hasn't it?''

''Yup.'' They got together sometimes at school and worked at gardening, but they barely had any time to really go out like they intended to. ''I guess we both wind up being pretty busy. One would think you'd have it a little easier though I guess both our situations come with their own set of issues.''

''I suppose so.'' Haru returned. Yes, people would imagine her life as an heiress was easy and perhaps it was in a way but in others it was also demanding. Namine hadn't cared one bit about her family's wealth and just saw Haru for who she was, something that meant a lot to the girl. ''So since we're both free now, would you like to join me for a little tour? There was this street I've been meaning to visit.''

''Sure thing, let's go!''

* * *

The girls visited a few shops and spent some time catching up...

Haru admired the selection of accessories they were both observing. The shop didn't seem like much from the outside but there certainly was quite the variety within it. ''I never imagined we'd find so much...what do you think of this one, Nami-chan?''

Namine glanced at the necklace she was pointing at, it had a circle with a gem in the center area. ''Not bad, actually, but I think I'll be taking this one.'' She held up a necklace with a translucent blue music note decoration.

''Oh, it's pretty! You must have an eye for this sort of thing.''

''Haha, you think so? Thanks.''

When they stopped at a grocery store, Namine was curious to see her friend buy a certain type of coffee. ''You looked interested back there, so you like coffee?''

Haru nodded, putting the bag away ''I've grown used to it for years now. Grandfather used to run a cafe and he just looked to make people happy, even offering meals to those who couldn't afford them. Everyone in the community loved the place...''

''Heeh, can't say I don't understand. That sounds really nice.'' Namine remarked.

''Yes. Perhaps it's due to being around that place for so long that I find coffee to be soothing. I'm actually trying to learn how to make it like he used to.''

''Oh yeah? Hey, how about you come over to Leblanc sometime? I bet you'll like Boss' coffee.''

Haru nodded ''I'm looking forward to trying it.''

Namine looked around, her gaze lingering at a building that seemed to stand out a little from the others near it. ''Say, any idea what that place is?''

''Hmm...If I recall correctly, it's a church. I think I've come by before but it's been some time now.'' Haru returned.

Both went in after a moment. The place seemed mostly empty, so the only other person inside certainly stood out to Namine and Haru. It was a girl their age with dark purple hair and green eyes. She was sitting on one of the benches with a shogi board beside her. Curiously enough, she seemed to be playing on her own but she stopped mid-way upon noticing them.

''Ah, hi there. Sorry if we startled you.'' Namine started.

''There's nothing to apologize for. I was merely lost in thought.'' The girl returned.

''This seems like a bit of an odd place to play.''

''It's actually quite helpful, I needed some place quiet to focus and help me develop some new moves.''

''Oh, makes sense. You're pretty dedicated.''

''I'll say, you certainly seemed focus.'' Haru had been wondering why something about the girl seemed familiar but she thought it over and the answer hit then. Wasn't she that famous shogi player? She vaguely recalled hearing something about a girl playing shogi in a church...

''Ah, it's nothing so special. I merely enjoy the game.'' The girl admitted.

Haru decided it wouldn't hurt to confirm her suspicions ''Excuse me, this just makes me think...you remind me of a recent story I heard. Would you by any chance be Togo Hifumi-san?''

''Yes, that's me...''

Namine raised an eye ''So she's famous?''

''I've mostly overhead some talk of a prodigy player rising up the ranks. I believe they call her the Venus of Shogi.'' Haru recalled.

''Wow...''

''Yes-it's over the top. I'm hardly so deserving of such a title.'' Hifumi stated.

Haru noted the girl's differing stance ''Oh, sorry if it makes you uncomfortable...''

Hifumi didn't really mind though ''It's quite all right. It's natural to be curious.''

''Ah, I'm Namine and that's my friend Haru. We were just walking around the area and this place sort of stood out.'' The girl paused. ''Would you mind if I ask what shogi's like? I used to play chess so I'm curious to see how different they are.''

''Well, let's see...'' Hifumi trailed off, thinking the answer over.

* * *

''Man, that hit the spot...'' Ryuji leaned back after finishing off his lunch. He had just stopped by Leblanc and it seemed like a good time to eat. Luckily, it was only him, Namine and Morgana present so they could talk about their thief work with no trouble.

''So you guys think Futaba shut us out because she didn't believe there was anythin' we could do?'' He wondered.

''It's just a guess.'' Morgana admitted. ''From the sound of it, she was pretty worried about asking us for help in the first place. She gave it a lot of thought. It's almost like she sees us as the last resort.''

''Yeah, but that doesn't add up. She shut us out!''

''I realize that but it can't be helped. Maybe...after all this time, she's just so used to blocking everyone out that it was just like falling back on old habits.''

Namine privately thought the cat was on to something. This made her remember that she never really got to tell them about her visits to Futaba. After all that happened, the chance never came up.

Then again...she wasn't sure if there was a point in mentioning it. After all, they'd hardly talked after her first visit and the thought just left her wondering what to do. She doubted bringing the subject up would make any difference.

''So basically we have to do something about Medjed but since Futaba might be the only one who can help us, we've gotta look into changing her heart. But there's no way to go any further in the Palace...if we don't pull this off, we're screwed!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

''You're just making it worse, Ryuji. One thing at a time, remember?'' Namine said.

He sighed ''I guess that's the only way to go...but man, it'll really be somethin' else when we pull this off. We'll be popular like crazy!''

''You really think about this fame a lot, huh? Is there any point considering that our identities are hidden?'' Morgana wondered.

''Ah...'' The blond was momentarily stumped but he soon managed a reply. ''...it's cool, I'll still enjoy it anyway!''

''If you say so...'' The cat shrugged. ''...what bothers me is that prosecutor. Why is she so convinced that the Chief actually has information that could be related to the mental shutdowns?''

Ryuji blinked ''Now that you mention it...''

''True, it's hard to believe that she would be going so far otherwise.'' Namine mused. ''Maybe we'll find some clue in the Palace.''

''That's about the best I can think off too...''

Ryuji stood ''Oh well, we'll worry about it later. I better get going...''

Namine remembered something ''Oh Ryuji, you think you can do me a favor?''

''? What's up?''

He followed the girl into the kitchen and found her turning back to him with a box. ''I remember you saying you pass near Yusuke's dorm. Can you give him this?''

Nodding, he took the item. ''Anything you want to tell him?''

''Just that this has to do with what our talk in the ramen shop. I think he'll understand.''

''Gotcha, consider it done.''

''Thanks.''

* * *

Later, Namine left the cafe with Morgana to meet up with Ann and Shiho...

''Oh, so the food you were making before was actually for Yusuke?'' The cat clarified.

Namine nodded ''I know it isn't much but I figure he should at least have a little something to help.''

''Well, I wouldn't undermine it. That was nice of you. Especially with how he tends to keep using up all his money on art supplies, he'll definitely need this.''

''Yeah...'' The burgundy haired girl paused, noticing Ann and Shiho nearby talking to a woman who appeared rather troubled. Their friends merely seemed confused, what was going on?

When they caught up, it was in time to hear the woman sigh ''...Well, I guess it can't be helped. Thanks for setting me straight anyway.''

''No problem. You're probably better off just going to talk to them. This seems to happen a lot lately.'' Ann remarked.

''I'll do that. See you around, Takamaki-chan.'' She left.

Ann sighed ''This is still going on...?'' She blinked, noticing Namine. ''Oh hey!'' Shiho looked over and smiled at the girl.

''Hey, what was that about?''

''It's like we heard before. She's one of the models Ann-chan worked with before. Apparently, she was told there was a shoot here but it looks like that was a lie.'' Shiho explained.

''Wait, this again?'' It had been something the three girls couldn't help but note around the shoots they went to with Ann. It seemed to be occasional but a bunch of models complained about getting those misleading calls and no one knew what to make of them.

''Yeah, the talk about it just stopped so I figured it was over. Now people are starting to blame each other for it. Heck, no one's sure what's going on.'' Ann stated.

''This is really weird...'' Shiho trailed off. ''...why would anyone be messing about with them all like that?''

No one responded as they were wondering the same thing. Why indeed?

''Well, anyway it's got nothing to do with us now. Come on.'' Ann gestured a hand forward. ''Makoto told me about the Ueno museum and I thought it might be an inspiration for my modeling.''

''I can see why. You've really meant it when you said you were getting serious about your job, huh?'' Morgana thought back, seeing her nod slightly then.

''So let's go!''

* * *

''It's kind of surprising, looking back with how things wound up...'' Ann mused as they entered one of the museum's halls.

''What do you mean?'' asked Shiho.

''Well, when I first met you two, I never thought we'd come to get along so well. That I'd be able to trust you...''

Namine could see what the girl was getting at. Especially since her bad reputation at the school was the cause. ''I get it but how does that apply with you two? You never told me the full story about how you got to know each other. We got distracted before...''

''Oh, we met during art class.'' Shiho started.

''Yup, Shiho came up to me and said that my painting stunk.'' Ann recalled, ''And it really did, I could barely even look at the thing. Not really the best foundation for a friendship, huh?''

''No kidding...'' Namine looked between the two. ''...but you obviously hit off great after that.'' They nodded and she went on. ''Guess first impressions aren't all they're cracked up to be. We're all pretty good at subverting them. It honestly didn't look I would be able to make friends at Shujin but look at us now and then there's what happened with Yusuke and Makoto...''

''Hehe, yeah I hear you.'' Ann smiled. After all, they wound up thinking that Yusuke was a stalker and it never looked like they would get along with Makoto back then.

''As they say, there's really no knowing what life would bring.'' Shiho remarked. ''Well impressions aside and all, I'm really glad I got to meet you. I don't want to think what it would've been like otherwise.''

''Same here,'' Ann returned while Namine smiled.

The group continued walking and taking some time to observe the exhibition. ''Seeing the expressions and poses in the art was super informative. It makes me think I had the right idea to come.'' Ann admitted. ''Though, don't you think the descriptions are tough? I wish they'd make them easier to read...''

''Well, artists tend to be pretty expressive right? That's probably a way to show it.'' Shiho remarked.

''I guess so. Hey, how about we check that hall out? There sure is some crowd...''

* * *

''That really was interesting...'' Shiho mused. ''...you know, I've been thinking about maybe trying to learn about art some more. Maybe even try to draw a little...Those lessons we had back in middle school were actually fun.''

''Maybe for you...'' Ann shook her head a bit. ''...but hey, you should totally go for it. I know you haven't done it in a while but you were really good at photography too, I still keep those pictures you took of our trip last year.''

''You think so?''

''Well, after all that happened, you're sort of branching out and reinventing yourself. Why not go all the way?'' Namine half-smiled.

Shiho considered that ''That's a good point...I guess I've really just been focused on volley ball but I really can't look at it the same way again. That's worth a try and it sounds fun.''

''Go for it!'' Ann encouraged.

Her best friend nodded back ''Come to think of it, Namine-chan, do you have any hobbies?''

''Well yeah, I like cooking, gardening and I really used to enjoy music. I learned to play a few instruments and sing.''

''Oh-wait, why did you stop? I know things have been hectic for you but...''

''I guess it's a bit like volley ball for you. I just never felt like going back to that again. Kind of feels empty, seeing as all I have with it are memories from my old home.''

Ann and Morgana shared looks, understanding that this was the real problem. Namine had not only lost the last two years of her life but she'd also had friends and family alike turn on her because of a crime she didn't commit. They'd simply chosen to disregard all they knew and completely abandoned her. It wasn't that she avoided her old hobby because it made made her think back on those times, it was that she simply didn't see any point in trying. Those events had taken any love and joy she felt for the hobby away.

Ann silently cursed those people. How could they do that to her? She'd not only spent all this time with them but she'd even risked her life for their sakes. Namine deserved much better than this.

''You shouldn't give up on it either.'' She found herself saying. ''It doesn't have to end up like that. You had fun then too, right? Well, why don't you try getting back to it?''

''I think Ann-chan's right.'' Shiho offered. ''We're all doing a bit of reinventing here. You said you were looking to expand your horizons, can't this be a way to do it? I know you don't feel like you should but still, keep the possibility in mind.''

Namine caught Morgana nodding to this from the corner of her eye and she thought their words over ''I guess I will...thanks.''

* * *

 _Well, let's just stop here for now._

 _I hope this was good. Considering the way things went down, I just figure I need to branch a bit further with the story and let it build for the Palace. They're going back next chapter. It just didn't seem right to try and put that here now and remember that this and the next chapter are in the span of a few days. Things can change then._

 _Just to clear up any confusion, Shiho knows about the burglary incident and what transpired because of it. Oh and the part where Namine thinks she hadn't done any good with Futaba? She's wrong. You'll see what that means soon. I'm going to get back to the deal with Namine's old hobby eventually. Thanks to everyone who's reading this, you guys are great. Seeing the reaction this story's causing keeps me motivated to write more. Thanks!_

 _Well, till next time._

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank 9)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 6)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 5)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 3)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 3)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	32. Chapter 32

_Vangran: Whoa, thanks a bunch! Always great to hear from you. I totally agree on what you said about Kawakami-then I thought of the changes I made with Shiho so it just hit me, but I'm glad you liked her SL. You'll see how Futaba feels about it soon and you're right in that Sojiro is grateful for Namine's attempts to help. Namine has been burned by fame in a manner of speaking so it's very unlikely that she'd enjoy it like some of the others might. Glad I got you looking forward to this, hope you'll keep reading._

* * *

After another session at the Protein Lovers' Gym, Ryuji took Namine over to the monjayaki shop...

''Man, that seriously hits the spot!'' The boy grinned. ''This one's on me. Don't expect it to happen too often though...Oh, I got a text from Takeishi. He says the team's gonna try n' ditch Yamauchi. They wanna start practicin' without him.''

''Nice, it's for the best.''

''Right? They're looking into getting back the old coach, the one before Kamoshida. Takeishi was pretty sure they could pull it off no problem.'' Ryuji informed. ''They're finally walkin' down their own path. Yamauchi got taken down pretty quick. Takeishi's mom is the PTA prez. He told her everything. After that, she came stormin' in with the other parents and forbid the whole scoutin' plan.''

''That's good-no wonder you seem satisfied.'' Namine remarked.

''I guess I am...oh...they asked to come back to the team.'' He admitted, to her surprise.

''Well, that's nice to-...wait, what did you say?'' She clarified, noting the look on his face.

''Can't get anything past you, huh? I had to turn 'em down. It felt kinda bad, but that's not where I belong now.'' He returned. ''When you first came to Shujin, people were talkin' so much shit about you...But you took it in stride. You just did whatever you thought was cool and didn't care what other people said about you. You're always true to yourself. I think that's why people kinda get pulled towards you. Wherever you decide to be, that's where you belong, Namine.''

''You're right...''

''To tell the truth, I was scared of facin' those guys straight up.'' He admitted. ''I couldn't stand how much they hated me. It only just made me think of how stupid I was. Most of all, it made me remember how I lost my place with them.''

She looked troubled ''But that's...''

He shook his head. ''Hey, this ain't like but...''

''?''

''I managed to change 'cause you were here helpin' me.'' He stated. ''I got you all wrapped up in this shit but you stayed with me 'till the bitter end...You didn't abandon me.''

''Well, don't make such a big deal out of it. I make it a point to stand with my friends.'' Namine stated.

''The only way to go.'' He chuckled, knowing her response would be something simliar. ''Seriously though. Thanks, Namine.''

''I might have helped but it's all you. You're the one who made it happen in the end.''

He laughed ''It's funny, huh? It all started out as trainin'...How'd it end up like this?'' His expression turned serious. ''Anyway, it's my turn now. If anything come up, you tell me. I'll help you with whatever you need.'' The two shared a look and nodded.

''All right, now that I have that off my chest, let's do this!'' Ryuji exclaimed. ''First up: our team! I'll be counting on you, leader. And you can count on me too!''

''Got it.''

 _(I am **thou, thou** art I..._

 _Thou has turned a **vow** into a blood oath._

 _Thy bond shall become the wings of **rebellion** and break the yoke of thy heart._

 _ **Thou** hast awakened the ultimate secret of the **Chariot,** granting thee infinite power...)_

Unbeknownst to them, both-especially Ryuji, felt something change at the time. What it was would become evident in time...

* * *

On her way back, Namine ran into Morgana and they walked together. As they began to debate plans for the Phantom Thieves, the former paused at the sight of Sojiro's house.

''What's wrong?'' Morgana asked.

''...There's something I'd like to check.'' The girl admitted, heading over. She paused to lift a vase mostly obscured by the wall, revealing a key beneath it which she picked up.

The cat blinked, watching her open the door before following her inside. ''Namine, did you do this before?''

She nodded, turning to face him as she spoke ''After hearing the situation, I wanted to do something...so I asked Boss to let me talk to Futaba. She won't let anyone in but she told me plenty through those...'' She displayed the messages from their first talk on her phone before turning it around to let Morgana see.

''Wha-'' Morgana spoke after a few moments. ''...they actually told her all this stuff?! What's wrong with those people?''

''Hard not to see why she would push us away, right?''

''Yeah, it all really makes sense now...'' Morgana trailed off. He happened to look back at the Palace before they left, a barrier had appeared around it. Hearing this made things fall into place. ''...so you've been coming to talk to her for a while now? That's really good.''

''I just thought-if I could help even a little...I know what kind of difference even a single helping hand could make in the worst of times.'' Namine mused. ''I'm not really sure it's done much good though. I wasn't expecting to make much headway but still-things aren't really working...''

''For what it's worth, I think you have the right idea. It sounds like Futaba just can't help being really paranoid with just about everybody.'' Morgana offered as the two went to sit near the girl's room's door.

''Hey, Futaba, I'm back.'' Namine placed a bag nearby. ''I got you a little something but I'll just leave it here.'' She leaned against the door. ''...It looks like Nijima-san's hasn't given up. Does this have to do with why you asked us for help?''

Futaba respond after a minute.

Futaba: Yeah...I didn't know what else to do. You guys are the last resort. Sojiro's still trying to protect me but I don't want him to get in trouble...

''I stand by what I said before, we'll all help you. It's just easier now that we know the story.'' Namine stated. ''Hey, there's one thing I can't figure out. She flat out told me that Boss has info that could help with the mental shutdowns. Do you know why?''

Futaba: It's because of Mom. She was...conducting research in Cognitive Psience.

''Cognitive...? So research that relates to the brain?''

Futaba: Sort of...

 _''Maybe even with the Metaverse...''_ Morgana thought to himself.

''Ah, sorry, let's leave that aside for now...'' Namine knew the girl found it hard to bring up her mother. ''...it's like I said, we just need to get a few things straightened out before we can go on. But we're not giving up, okay? It's good that you know something's wrong, it's the first step to take care of that issue.''

The response came after a while again.

Futaba: Can I...trust you?

''Yeah, I'm not going to ask you to right away. I understand if you find it hard to, just try to have little faith. I'm not expecting anything from this, Futaba, that's not why I've been coming.'' Namine returned.

Futaba:...You really think there's a way to help me?

''Absolutely.'' Namine replied at once. ''I told you before, right? There's no way that awful stuff those people said was true. You deserve to live as much as any of us do and they had no business saying otherwise.'' She looked at Morgana, who nodded, seeming just as determined. ''Just hold on, okay? Try to have faith. We'll do our best to set you free.''

Futaba: If you say so...I will...

''I think your visits might have a bonus, Namine.'' Morgana stated as they left. ''Let's get everyone together. I say it's time to go to the Metaverse tomorrow. I'll explain then.''

The girl nodded and began texting the others...

* * *

The following day, the group got together and went into the Metaverse from a street near the Sakura residence...

''You sure this is gonna help, Mona?'' Skull asked.

''Just wait...'' The cat trailed off as they arrived at the tomb. ''...I thought so. The barrier's gone.''

She looked at Mona ''You knew? But how?''

''We can thank Joker for that one.'' Mona informed, looking at their leader along with everyone else. ''She's been going to visit Futaba for a few days and offering her encouragement and support.''

Skull was surprised ''You did?''

''Well yeah...I just felt like I had to try something. I never imagined this would happen though...'' Joker trailed off.

Fox began to smile ''I've said this before but you are a truly kind person.''

''And it's that kindness that must have resounded with Futaba.'' Mona added.

''I'll say, that was a really nice thing you did, Joker.'' Queen praised while Panther and Skull smiled at the girl.

''Thanks, guys...I'm glad I could help.''

* * *

Queen's eyes narrowed a bit as they made their way through the Palace ''Joker may have took the first step to help open Futaba's heart but we still have to keep going until succeed.''

Skull nodded ''We'll pull it off, for sure! So...'' He stopped walking, noticing Shadow Futaba standing on the stairs before them.

''So you truly were able to find your way back.'' She remarked. ''I can help with your progress but I need you to do something first.''

''And that would be?'' Fox prompted.

''A piece of papyrus was stolen from here-it's very important to me. I know that the bandit is in the town up north. If you retrieve it, I will help you.''

''That sounds fine to me. Any problems, guys?'' Joker inquired.

''Nope, we're good to go.'' Panther returned while the rest nodded.

* * *

Mona took everyone to said town, which was appeared empty and desolate. As they got busy, they were ambushed by a horde of mummies...

A surprised Panther recoiled at the sight ''Where'd those come from?!''

''That doesn't matter, get ready!'' Mona warned just as one of the enemies lunged.

The mummies began surrounding the group of thieves, who readily fended them off to the best of their ability.

Seeing many of them gathering gave Skull an idea ''Let's give this a test run. Persona!''

Captain Kidd flew up behind him ''Time to get rid of some pests. All right, Captain, MegaVolt Strike!''

The pirate-like persona charged at the mummies, ramming quite a few of them with quite the speed. The attack left electric charges around the enemies which forced them back. It soon became clear that Captain Kidd had cornered them purposefully as he fired a powerful electric blast from his arm cannon that destroyed them all.

Panther's eyes widened ''Was that just your...?''

''Yup, I figured it out.'' Skull grinned. ''Joker, you rock. You're the whole reason we go this awesome skill!''

The girl laughed ''Well, you're the one who made it work so you get plenty of that credit.''

The sound of applause made the three thieves turn to find a man approaching them from behind one of the houses.

''Man, that was great!'' He smiled. ''You all sure are tough. Never thought I'd come across anyone-let alone people strong as you are. Say, you wanna team up? I can get you guys to one hell of a treasure! I even got the map to it ready.''

''Well, this is lucky. That's just what we were looking for.'' Mona remarked.

''Oh? So you'll...''

''Don't misunderstand.'' Queen cut in. ''Mona's talking about the map. We're here to get it back.''

The bandit grimaced ''So that's how you knew to come here? Well then, my choice is made too!''

He began to flee then, with Mona hurrying after him first. Fox thought fast and knew what to do.

''Goemon!''

The Persona stepped up, brandishing his pipe before ice began materializing over all the possible exits in the bandit's direction.

''Nice, you got him!'' Panther exclaimed.

''Good thinking, Fox!'' Joker smiled.

He recoiled and glared at them ''You little...fine!''

He transformed into the avian-like Garuda shadow before letting out a sharp battle cry. It conjured powerful wind magic that hit the whole group, seeing that it had the worst effect on Skull and trying to attack the boy.

Queen stepped up ''I won't let you-Johanna, Mafrei!''

The nuclear spell burst right on the shadow's chest, sending him flying back and vulnerable as the brunette chose to ram him with Johanna then. Panther focused her efforts on helping Skull while Mona slashed the shadow's wing, making him screech and he tackled the feline thief back. Mona was sent careening backwards as a result, blinking when someone caught him and set him down safely seconds later. His eyes widened at the familiar red and black form of Arsene before he grinned at Joker, who smiled back. The gentleman thief attacked together with Goemon, forcing their enemy away. The shadow then fly up high before speeding down, trying to dive bomb then. Joker was able to dodge the attack coming her way and Queen put up her guard. Seeing the Garuda fly up again, Joker aimed her gun carefully and fired. Though he was barely able to avoid the first two bullets, the shadow was sent crashing down as the rest of Joker's attacks nailed the mark.

Seeing the enemy dazed, the Phantom Thieves hit hard and true with an All Out Attack, causing a lot of damage. The Garuda tried to rise up but he was obviously plenty weaker, its next Magarudyne attack was slower and most of the party were able to avoid it.

''Eat this!'' Skull cried as he and Panther hit the shadow from left and right.

Screeching again, the shadow tried to fly away from the battlefield, endeavoring to avoid Goemon's ice. Panther's eyes narrowed ''I don't think so, Carmen!''

The crimson dancer summoned a wall of flames that obscured the Garuda's path. The sudden and forced pause gave Mona and Skull ample time to try and shoot him down, with Fox taking advantage of the chance to attack then.

''Persona!'' Queen and Joker summoned Johanna and Phoenix, who combined their magic on command for a powerful Freidyne spell which exploded fiercely for plenty of damage. Panther whipped the enemy a few times before Skull and Fox attacked again, defeating him.

The former picked up something that fell as the shadow faded ''Hey, we got it!''

''Good, it's time to go back then.'' Queen stated.

* * *

As it so happened, Shadow Futaba seemed to be waiting for them as they found her in the same place before they left.

''We're back.'' Panther held up the piece of papyrus. ''This is what he stole from you, right?''

''Well done, it is yours now.''

''Wait, what...?'' The red-clad girl blinked. ''Didn't you want us to get it back because it's important?''

''It is a map of the tomb, stolen by the bandit to aid his ransacking of this place.''

''Why are you letting anyone do whatever they want? This is your Palace.'' Queen pointed out.

''All that matters is that the map is now yours. Just come further in and...oh.'' She disappeared and the ground beneath them caved in...

The next thing they knew, the party in a pit full of quicksand. They did the best thing they could do and hurried to get out of it.

Joker took a few moments to catch her breath ''Is everyone okay?''

''Yeah...'' Skull grimaced. ''...what the heck was that? Did she lead us to a trap?''

''Looks like.'' Queen returned, looking around. ''We've landed in a lower level of the Palace.''

''She blocked us off at first and now this? Did we piss her off somehow?'' Panther wondered.

''I don't think it has anything to do with us angering her...I suspect the problem is that she can't control her instinct to push people away from her.'' Mona frowned.

''...Can you really blame her though?'' Joker asked.

''Not in the slightest.'' Queen replied. ''It really makes far too much sense with what she's been through.''

''We've gotta save her guys! Let's help Futaba-chan open the door to her heart!'' Panther urged.

''Yes, a few setbacks certainly won't stop us.'' Fox stated.

''You said it, Fox. Let's keep going!'' Skull exclaimed.

''I have no objections but we should about ourselves first and foremost.'' Mona stated. ''Come on, let's look for a way back above ground. Otherwise this place is going to end up being our tomb too.''

* * *

The group soon came across three treasure chests, one held a couple of medical items, the second a whip and a third had a number of small gems.

''Oh, fitting for a place like this.'' Mona remarked at the sight of the gems while Panther took the new weapon.

Queen hummed in agreement ''And it'll definitely help us out in the long run.''

After a little while, they were soon found by shadows; a Sandman, two Lamia and a Thoth. The Sandman immediately started the offensive by attacking Joker while one of the Lamia cast Agilao on Queen, causing a burn.

Mona fended the creature off ''You better heal that now, it'll just get worse.''

Nodding, the brunette proceeded to summon Johanna to make it happen. She was forced to back off as Thoth cast Megido before she could pull it off. Fox proceeded to try hitting the enemies with a Mabufu, with the Lamias recoiling sharply and one even hitting the ground hard. Realizing that he found their weakness, the teen slashed the more weakened shadow immediately, taking it out.

Panther saw how Thoth appeared to be ready cast again and attacked it. Her whip wound up knocking the book it held away, leaving the shadow flummoxed. Skull tried to bash the remaining Lamia, only for it to back off and begin moving strangely.

''Eh, what's...?'' His eyes widened when another Lamia shadow appeared moments later. ''They can call up others?!''

''Then it's best to take those out right now.'' Queen stated and he nodded before the two attacked. Both shadows tried to dodge but the blond and brunette managed to force the weaker Lamia back before Queen kicked its head and Skull took it down.

Joker willed her Personas to switch ''Principality!'' The new arrival flew up before the girl. ''Makouga!''

The oncoming rays of light hit all the shadows, sans Thoth which managed to block it. She and Skull attacked the Lamia before Mona cuts it down while Panther summoned Carmen to blast the Thoth with an Agilao. Queen hit the dazed shadow with a Flash Bomb that destroyed it. Fox slashed the Sandman, which tried tackling him back. It was soon knocked down by his and Joker's follow up attack, leaving the latter able to have it become one of her masks.

* * *

''Man, having those Personas sound neat but it looks like a pain to manage, huh Joker?'' Skull asked.

''Well, I wouldn't say that but it does take some getting used to...''

Mona spared the teen a look ''You do realize how useful it's been so far, right? Guess we should be thanking our lucky stars that someone as responsible as Joker has it.''

''I hear you, Mona.'' Panther agreed. ''Imagine what other possibilities there could have been.''

''H-hey, what're you both looking at me like that for?!'' Skull demanded as the two gave him pointed looks. ''I never said I wanted it and even then, so what? Bet I would've done it better than both of you!''

''You wish.'' The two replied flatly.

''Well, who's to say what would happen? Besides, there's really no point wondering about this.'' Fox offered.

''That's true...'' The conversation had Queen thinking in a different direction. ''...I wonder if there are any other Wild Cards out there though.''

''Hmm...'' Joker trailed off. ''...it'd be interesting to meet another one.''

''Can't argue with that, but what're the chances?'' Mona wondered, thinking on how lucky he'd been to run into the girl when he did.

They went around a corner and soon realized they were directly above the quicksand pit. There was only a line of tiles leading to the next area in between.

Skull noted how Fox seemed to be observing the path carefully ''What's up?''

''I'd like to try something.'' He picked up a rock and tossed it to one of the tiles. At first, nothing happened. But then the tile shook and began crumbling, soon falling apart. ''It's just as I thought. They're far from stable.''

''How do we get across though?'' Queen wondered.

Joker, who decided to take a page from their artistic friend's book, also took to keeping a sharp eye on the path. ''I don't think the tiles are all the same. We have to be careful about choosing which one to use. Let's just try to move fast.''

That soon turned out to be for the best and they were able to get to the other side safely, to general relief. But it was just then that they were found by some shadows; an Anzu, two Sandmen and a Naga.

The Naga proceeded to cast Zionga on Skull, who was able to brush the worst of it off without preamble and kicked it back. He summoned Captain Kidd, who blasted the shadow back and Queen moved in to finish it off. The Anzu tackled Fox, who was quickly able to counter strike and make it hit the ground hard. Joker called on Principality to attack their enemies with bless magic then while Panther aided her by having Carmen blast them with her flames.

Mona slashed one of the Sandmen back, seeing the second one casting wind magic that he was able to avoid. Skull hit the second one, but then something strange happened when he had his Persona attack again.

Captain Kidd was enveloped in a blue and white light that obscured it from view. It faded in moments, revealing a completely new figure. The face sort of resembled a monkey with a powerful figure, it was clad in armor with red pants and a yellow cape. It floated over a cloud, towering over everyone present.

''What just...''

''W-whoa...''

''Mona, do you know anything about this?'' Queen asked.

''No...'' The cat appeared just as taken back as she felt. ''...I've never heard of anything like it...''

Strange as it was, looking at the new figure gave Skull a really good feeling. He felt a whole lot stronger now, it just felt right to have this apparently new Persona here.

Since she was getting more and more used to the spirits, Joker found that she could sometimes get a good feel on them. It was as if she was learning to discern their true nature. ''It feels kind of like Captain Kidd but it's also different in a way...''

''Yeah, totally...'' Skull started.

'My name is Seiten Taisei.' The new Persona addressed them. 'With the bond you've unlocked, I am able to unleash my true power. I will fight by your side from here on out.'

The ex-athlete began to grin ''All right, let's get right to work then!''

'As you wish.' Seiten Taisei brandished his staff and lunged at the remaining shadows. An aura of power gathered around him and a with a few fast strikes, he left both dazed where they stood and waved his staff. The two shadows were knocked down by lightning bolts then, leaving them to fade away.

''Wow...you guys weren't kidding, that was great.'' Panther looked amazed as they watched Seiten Taisei disappear.

''Whoa...'' Skull blinked. ''...it really is like having the captain but at the same time not...maybe it's a secret behind our Personas or somethin'?''

Queen nodded ''He did mention something about releasing power...could it be that Captain Kidd evolved?''

''I think you're on to something, Queen.'' Mona agreed. ''Personas are connected to our hearts so it's natural for them to grow stronger as long as we do too. I just never imagined something like this would happen.''

Skull found himself thinking back to his talk with Joker back at the shop. He had felt a lot better after all was said and done-was that related? It really did seem like he came a long way since they formed the team...

''At any rate, it means we have a tough new ally. Isn't that good enough for now?'' Joker told the others.

''Absolutely. Well, I suppose congratulations are in order, Skull.'' Fox remarked.

''Yeah, this is some great news.'' Their leader added.

''Heh, thanks. It just kinda happened...anyway, come on, let's go.''

* * *

Defeating some more shadows along the way, they passed the area into the next one and soon came across a hall that seemed completely empty. With Joker's Third Eye, they were able to find a hidden switch that unlocked the door that had been obstructing their path, allowing them to go outside again.

''I think we've had enough for today, let's not overdo it.'' Queen cautioned.

''No complaints here, we took a big step forward today.'' Panther remarked. ''Joker helped so Futaba-chan could let us back in and thanks to Skull, we know that there might be a way to really power up our Personas. You two are totally the MVPs of the day!''

The two in question exchanged looks and smiled before the first spoke ''Well, it's good to see that we're working things out this well. Let's keep doing our best all the way.''

''You got it.''

''That's the only way to go.'' Mona nodded.

* * *

 _And let's stop here._

 _Well, how was it? Our first complete SL, I've been debating how to work the second Personas in the story for a while now. The game just seems to sort of drop them in when the SL is complete but I don't know if I should do that. So far, the ones I have solid ideas for are Hecate, Mercurius and Anat. I wasn't sure about using Seiten Taisei now but the idea just sort of came to me when I was working on this chapter and it felt good. I hope you enjoyed the chapter._

 _Thanks for reading and I hope you could tell me what you think. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 6)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 5)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 3)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 3)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	33. Chapter 33

_Vangran: Hey, glad you liked the evolution reveal. Well, I didn't know really that much about the other games but it's interesting to hear the difference in the SLs. The whole explanation about Futaba is actually my own understanding of the situation so I'm glad to know you appreciate that. Can't say who I really want to pair with Ryuji but I have to admit I did picture him with Ann after learning about the games. I can agree with you about him though._

 _This chapter includes an explanation of a little event I introduced in Kaneshiro's Palace. But I'll explain more about it in the second author's note. Here we go!_

* * *

While Namine was working with Sojiro at Leblanc, the news displayed another talk about Medjed and their challenge to the Phantom Thieves...

''This again?'' The barista glanced at the TV. ''I get that it'd be a big deal but it makes you wonder if everyone's just leaving it all up in the air for those Phantom Thieves to deal with the trouble. One would think the police would actually be doing something here.''

''I guess so...for all we know they could be.'' Namine offered, though when she thought it over, she came to understand his sentiment. Especially since she figured that part of his annoyance on that issue had to do with Sae.

''Point taken.'' Sojiro acknowledged. ''So Futaba's told me about your visits...'' Namine looked surprised. ''...it wasn't much but knowing her, I think you've really gotten her thrown for a loop. She thinks you seem pretty nice...from the sound of it, you probably would've been a bigger help if you had been around earlier.''

''Oh-well, I'm glad you think so.'' Namine admitted. ''Actually, speaking of, did Grandma and Grandpa know about any of this?''

''I told them a little about Wakaba and stuff but that's it.'' was the response. ''Nah, they wouldn't have left things like this if they had known. You're enough proof of that, you've learned plenty from them.''

Namine couldn't help smiling at this ''Thanks!''

* * *

The Phantom Thieves headed back to Futaba's palace a couple of hours later. After finding a new path due to their previous excursion, they came across a hall that had some treasure chests which held money and some useful equipment.

''First we had a castle, then it was a museum, next a bank and now a tomb practically chalk full of traps...'' Panther trailed off, sighing. ''...the Metaverse is just loaded with surprises isn't it?''

''Yeah, I think I see what you're getting at, Panther. It's probably because of how all are our targets were.'' Mona remarked.

Fox looked curious ''How do you mean?''

It was Queen who answered ''Well, it seems that whenever the Phantom Thieves interfere, the situation is extreme enough to call for it.''

''Ah, excellent point.''

''There's no point sweatin' the small stuff, we just have to deal with what comes our way.'' Skull stated. ''Besides, can't Joker's Third Eye help us with the traps?''

''It doesn't work like that.'' The girl in question replied.

Queen looked at their leader ''Actually, I've been wondering, how does it work, Joker? From my understanding, it's something that enhances your senses.''

''That's pretty close, actually.'' Joker returned. ''How do I put it...? Hm, I think it might boost intuition too. I block out most things and focus on a particular area and that lets me really get a new look on a target and I pick up on things that might have been easy to miss before.''

''Heeeh, that's interesting...'' Mona trailed off as Queen hummed in agreement.

It wasn't long before they were near the area they reached back at their first arrival here, leaving them to overlook a long set of stairs that led to a tall door. But then, a dark figure appeared in front of them, materializing into a Mot shadow. It flew up and unleashed a Megidolan at the party, who did their best to either dodge or defend.

Panther and Mona proceeded to shoot at the shadow but its coffin shut and the projectiles simply bounced off it as a result. A dark aura gathered around Mot as it concentrated before it cast another Megidolan.

It was then tackled by Seiten Taisei, who blasted it with lightning. Unfortunately, it seemed to do just a little better than the guns, giving the shadow room to tackle Skull, who jumped out of the way. Mot's next attack was halted by Joker, who summoned Principality to counter strike; with the Persona managing to knock it down.

Mona and Queen took the chance to strike then, with the former's use of wind magic seeming very effective. Seeing the dazed enemy, the party struck with an All-Out Attack. Despite taking plenty of damage, Mot pulled itself up and roared, unleashing a beam that hit Mona, covering him in smoke. It cleared up quickly, letting everyone see that he had been turned into a rat.

''The heck?!'' Skull yelped while his friends stared in shock.

''How is that even...?'' Queen shook herself and picked their teammate up, figuring that he'd be vulnerable like this. She only hoped whatever this was would wear off, it wasn't like they had any time to make sure which of their healing items would fix this up.

Luckily, Mot was very much weakened by now and even as it struggled to hold them off, there was only a matter of time till it fell. As it was thrown down by Carmen's Agilao, Mot's spell on Mona wore off and a there were visible burns over the shadow.

Picking up on this, Queen got an idea ''Joker, with me!'' She summoned Johanna and as she expected, the girl caught on and summoned Phoenix. The girls combined the Personas' powers again for a powerful Freidyne spell that felled the enemy.

* * *

''That lousy, stinking shadow!''

Joker patted Mona's head, deciding it was best to let him vent ''Feel better?''

He nodded ''...That kind of really ticked me off...''

''Can't say I'm surprised, a cat being turned into a rat and all...'' Skull trailed off.

''For the last time, I'm not a cat!'' Mona snapped.

''To be fair, you do have a cat's form.'' Fox pointed out. ''Your transformation is because of people's cognition, correct? Whose to say this form isn't?''

''I...didn't think about it like that...'' He admitted, pausing as he noticed something odd nearby. ''...is that a ballista?''

Queen raised an eye ''It is...that's strange. I think there might be another one on the level above us. I wonder what they're for...''

After defeating more shadows, they came across an odd reflective panel and a cracked wall, but it seemed as if they stumbled upon a dead end.

''What do we do now?''

''This part seems much weaker than the rest of the area.'' Fox noted, examining the cracked wall. ''Perhaps if we had something strong enough to hit it, we can break through and find a new path.''

''That could work.'' Panther agreed. ''Using Personas is probably a bad idea, considering it'll just get more shadows on our backs though...''

Joker tilted her head a bit, thinking things over ''What about that ballista?''

Skull perked up ''Oh yeah, that's worth checking out. Looks like we might have found a use for them after all, guys!''

* * *

As it so happened, they were on the right track. A close up examination of the ballista let Mona find a button to activate. The weapon directed itself in the cracked wall's direction before firing a spear that destroyed it, this revealed a path that led into a new chamber.

After a stop at the new Safe Room they found, they went back at it. Dealing with a few enemies and some more traps along the way, they were forced to change course due to a locked door. The party came to stop upon noticing a particular shadow wandering the area ahead. This one had a particularly intense aura, seeming stronger than the ones they had seen before. With the help of Mona's smoke bomb, they were able to ambush it and in seconds the thieves were facing an Isis, a Naga along with an Anubis shadow.

The first shadow began by casting a spell that formed an odd translucent shield over the Anubis before it faded away. The latter used a spell none of them recognized, creating bursts of light which hit Joker, making her hit the ground hard.

''Joker!''

Mona bristled, having sensed the power behind that spell. ''Guys, whatever you do, avoid that spell. It's really strong-I'll help her. Just keep them off our backs.''

''Got it.'' Queen nodded, running to punch the Anubis then. Fox prepared to slash it but was forced to veer off and fend an oncoming attack from the Naga instead.

Isis cast Agilao on Panther, who was easily able to endure the worst of it and so whipped the shadow twice in return before summoning her Persona to burn the enemy. Anubis swiped at Queen and Skull, who happened to be the closest, before using some curse magic which they were able to defend against. Fox called on Goemon to stop the Naga in tracks, leaving the Persona to dispose of it.

Skull hit Isis' side before it got to finish another spell, giving Queen enough time to ram it with Johanna before she hit both it and the Anubis with a Flash Bomb.

Joker shook her head, any lingering pain having been taken care of by Mona. ''What was that? I know I'm weak to Bless magic but...''

''Yeah, I'm not sure that was your standard variety spell.'' The feline offered, glancing at the damage the Hamaon spell caused to the area nearby. ''Anyway, come on, let's finish this!''

The two made it just as the Anubis was casting a second Hamaon, but it was forcefully stopped as Joker's bullets hit it a number of times. Mona dashed in, slashing the shadow twice before summoning Zorro to finish it off by trapping in a powerful gale that ended the battle.

The enemies gone, they were able to take a good look around the room, bringing the Anubis statue in its center to attention.

''So what's with this thing?'' Skull cocked his head.

''We did see another one before but this one's missing an eye.'' Mona observed.

Queen looked pensive ''Anubis was known as the god of the dead. Considering this Palace...I'd say this seems important.''

''Oh!'' The two looked Panther curiously, seeing her hold up a little gem which matched the statue's eye. ''This should help. I found it after one of the shadows we beat disappeared.'' She placed it in the eye indentation and hummed. ''Perfect fit.''

There was a rumble somewhere nearby as the ground shook a little, causing some confusion.

''What was that?'' Panther blinked.

''Maybe something changed nearby, let's go take a look.'' Queen returned.

That 'something' was actually the locked door, it seemed that inserting the gems released a lock and now it was open.

''All right! We can keep going now.'' Mona smiled and they headed over.

* * *

''So guys, is it just me or does it look like there's a whole lot of locked doors here?'' Skull asked the group.

''Good observation, Skull. I think it's because Futaba's just so used to keeping people away. Knowing what we do, I'd have to say it actually makes sense.'' Mona offered.

''Yeah, it really does...'' Panther sighed. ''...it definitely explains the traps too. I hope we can reach out to her.''

''We will.'' Joker assured. ''We just have to keep trying.''

It was as they made their way through the new area that the party discovered a nasty surprise. The coffins, which just seemed to lay in plain sight, could actually functioned as a hiding place for shadows. It was this discovery that lead to them battling two Anzu shadows along with a Daisoujou. Due to the ambush, things hadn't started off so well for the party but they were getting their second wind back...

The Anzu shadows flew in to ram those nearby while the Daisoujou cast a Makouga spell. Mona forced one of the Anzu back by attacking before it could while Skull had Seiten Taisei hit back with Rampage, sending it spinning with a couple of strikes to its wings.

One of the Anzu cast Garula but Queen, the intended target, was already speeding past it on Johanna while Joker cut the bird while she kicked Daisoujou. Fox trapped one of the Anzu in ice before Panther burned it and the two attacked together next to finish it off.

Mona saw how the Daisoujou began glowing, recognizing the feel of the oncoming power ''Everyone, this feels like that Bless spell that Anubis shadow used. Watch out and stay away far away from that thing!''

The warning was heeded and it came in good time as Daisoujou conjured a powerful blast that would've hit Panther otherwise. It became evident that Mona was completely right as the spell caused a crater on the area where it landed. Daisoujou then moved on to cast healing magic on the remaining Anzu.

''Okay, that's it. We need to focus our efforts on this one first.'' Queen stated before leading the charge. Daisojou managed to avoid her attack but it was caught off guard by Skull, who managed to strike it down then. Mona summoned Zorro, who trapped it with wind magic. This gave Fox an idea and he proceeded to call on his own Persona to mix his ice in, this created an ice tornado that caused a lot of damage. The three attacked together again, finishing it off.

Meanwhile, Joker and Panther were handling the Anzu, making sure to keep it from their friends. The latter was able to throw it off balance with her whip, giving the former a chance to shoot it down and leaving it dazed. Panther proceeded to have Carmen attack then while Joker slammed the shadow down thanks to Setanta's Assault Dive. With it very much weakened, the girls got to hold the shadow at gunpoint and Joker was able to have it become one of her masks.

* * *

''Another of those things?'' Mona paused at the sight of an Anubis statue, this one's eyes had no gems.

Skull took a moment look around before he paused and squinted at something to their far right ''Hey, there's another door over there but it's locked. So we need to find two of those gems, right?''

''Looks like it.'' Panther nodded. ''So then...'' The girl stopped in her tracks at the sight of a familiar figure at the base of the stairs.

It was Futaba's shadow.

''You're still persisting and you've come this far...'' She trailed off, sounding oddly pleased.

''This far? You mean we're gettin' close to the treasure?'' Skull wanted to know.

If the shadow heard him, she made no indication of it. ''Would you still carry on? To see this through to the end?''

''We're not about to leave things as they stand.'' Queen stated.

''I see. Well...''

'Freak!'

'Murderer!'

'It's all your fault!'

Fox grimaced ''Those voices again...''

Shadow Futaba winced and held her head, Panther spared her a concerned look ''It's even worse to hear now that we know the whole story.''

''What do we do though? We couldn't get through to her before either.'' Mona frowned.

''...It's not true.'' Everyone looked at Joker as she stepped up. ''They're wrong-no, this whole thing is wrong. To call it cruel would be an understatement...We've all heard enough to understand that. Isn't that why you wanted our help? I can't imagine what it's been like for you all this time but this doesn't have to go on. Please, don't give up and try to hold on. We can help you if you'd just let us.''

A moment later, the girl was surrounded by an aura of silvery energy that suddenly pulsed around the room. Everyone present felt something warm and gentle wrap around them, it even seemed to make the voices go away.

Joker was bewildered, what just happened? She had just wanted to help Futaba but then...

Shadow Futaba stared at Joker in barely concealed amazement ''...Thank you...'' She disappeared.

''That was great, Joker!'' Mona exclaimed.

The girl stiffened as she felt a lot of energy leaving her before she fell to her knees, to her friends' alarm. Panther helped her up, keeping an arm around the girl's frame to steady her ''You all right?''

She nodded, smiling weakly ''...Just tired...''

''You did great, just what happened back there though?'' Queen couldn't help but ask.

''I don't know...I just wondered if there was some way to stop what was going on...'' Joker trailed off.

''Something about that power feels familiar...'' Mona mused.

''...That's because Joker did something similar before.'' Fox informed, to their surprise. ''I thought I saw something strange back in Kaneshiro's vault. I'd imagine that was how she calmed you down.''

''Oh yeah!'' The cat's eyes widened at the memory. ''That was it! I wonder if this is a new ability...''

''Why don't we debate that later? Let's go back to the Safe Room, Joker needs to rest.'' Queen pointed out.

''Right!''

* * *

''Mona, do you remember anything in particular from the time back in Kaneshiro's Palace?'' Queen asked once they were all settled down.

''Besides that I felt something really soothing back then? No.'' was the response. ''I think I might have an idea about what Joker pulled off.''

''You do? Come on, spill!'' Skull urged.

''It's only a theory, so I can't be sure.'' Mona warned before going on. ''Joker's a Wild Card, able to connect to many spirits. She told us that Pixie even mentioned how her presence helped her deal with the distortions. Based on all this, I think Joker has the ability to soothe others in the Metaverse.''

''Whoa...''

''I wonder if this has to do with the shadow negotiation.'' Queen mused.

''That's actually what gave me the idea.'' Mona admitted. ''It looks more and more like she purifies the shadows of the distortions before using them as Personas.''

''Ah, you think it might relate to this ability.'' Fox understood.

Mona nodded ''Joker, you just keep exceeding my expectations! This ability will be a pretty good help. Do you know how to use it?''

Panther spoke before the girl could respond ''Either way, we are not trying this now. Mona, she's worn out!''

''Ah, right...'' The cat looked guilty. ''...sorry, I got carried away...''

Joker shook her head ''I'd like to know more about this too. You may have the right idea, Mona. To answer your question though, I'm not sure if I could use it whenever I want to just yet.''

''Well, I'd imagine the circumstances don't help. We've all had quite the time in here. Why don't we call it a day? I think we've made decent progress now.'' Queen stated.

''Agreed, I'd imagine we could all use some good rest ourselves.'' Fox added.

''Yup, and we'll do even better the next time.'' Panther smiled as they nodded. With this turnout, they were content to settle for this and head back for now.

* * *

 _And we're done._

 _How was this? Good, I hope. To clarify, Mona's theory is more or less spot on. Namine's new ability is an idea I got ever since I finished reading up about Persona 5. They've basically got the main character and Akechi being polar opposites and all, right? I figured it would make sense for the main character to have an ability to counter Akechi's power to drive shadows berserk. Also, considering how he used it on himself in canon, I'm pretty sure it doesn't just affect shadows either. When I thought it over, this ability came to mind. Now awakening it was a bit hard on her and she can't really just use it readily yet but it'll come in handy._

 _Oh, and the thing about the one shot spells like Hamaon was the best way I could work them in here. Basically, here they're powerful enough to knock the target out and the soul armor can mitigate the damage. The explanation about the third eye is basically how I understood it. I didn't want to include too much at once and trying to get Futaba's Palace in the story is kind of a pain so I hope this was all right._

 _Anyway, thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 6)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 5)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 3)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 3)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	34. Chapter 34

_Vangran: It's always nice to hear from you, glad to know this story has you that excited. It's great to know you think so highly of my work, this sort of thing makes it all the more worthwhile. Wings of Rebellion is one of my favorite stories so it means a lot that you'd even put my story on a similar scale. Hope you keep reading._

* * *

''We're making some good progress in the Palace.'' Morgana smiled. ''The situation may have started out badly but I think having a hacker like Futaba help us out would be great.''

Namine hummed in agreement as she finished brushing her hair and put it back in a low ponytail ''I just hope we can help her.''

''I think we can.'' Morgana asserted. They had considered going to the Palace before but since most of them were busy, that plan was put on hold. ''Especially with how well you've been doing when trying to reach out to her. That being said, I can't shake the feeling that there's more to the situation than we know...especially with how she mentioned her mom's work and how Makoto's sister is convinced that it has to do with the mental shutdowns.''

''Yeah, I know...I tried looking up Cognitive Psience but there really wasn't much info. But from the looks of the things, you think Isshiki-san may have discovered the Metaverse?'' Namine tilted her head. It seemed like a bit of a long shot but when she thought back on how some of them learned of the other world, she couldn't discount it all together.

''Who can say?'' The cat returned. He knew all they had was guesses but with the situation as it is, things seemed to be falling into place. ''Guess we'll just have to wait and see, maybe we can get Futaba herself to tell us everything.''

Morgana glanced at the familiar shack they were approaching ''...So why'd Yusuke say to meet him here?''

''I'm not sure, let's go find out.''

* * *

The three were soon back in front of Madarame's shack...

''Hm, this place has not changed in the slightest...'' Yusuke mused. ''...how nostalgic. I haven't come here since I moved away. The truth is, despite my best efforts to convey the meaning of the heart, I am no closer to understanding it. Such a troublesome roadblock never presented itself to me while I was living here...As you know, I spent most of my young life in this house. That is why we have come now. I wish to re-evaluate myself within its decrepit walls. By coming here, I may be able to rekindle the passion I once felt for art. The passion of an inquiring mind on the hunt for pure beauty...before I learned of Madarame's foul nature.''

Namine raised an eye when he stopped ''What is it?''

''It seems the door has been jammed. It was rusting when I was a pupil here but it's finally broken now.''

''Then let's fix it.''

He blinked ''Can you?''

''Yup, my part time jobs have been a big help. Mona helped me figure it out too. Just give me a few...''

''You never cease to impress, Namine...''

* * *

''It's even more dreary than before...'' Morgana remarked.

''Yes. The police confiscated everything...'' Yusuke noted. ''...You know, I lived here not long ago but it feels like the distant past now. Being here has brought back memories though. Whenever I acted out of line, I was made to sit calmly in this corner. Ah, and over here was a bookshelf, filled to the brim with various tomes. It contained art compilation books for the most part, but there were a few mangas tucked away as well. At times I would take a break from my art to hide and read them...'' He turned around. ''...This is where we would gather to eat when the atelier had a large pupil count.''

''I'm still not sure how you guys even lived here...to think it had lots of people too...'' Morgana admitted.

''I imagine it would seem odd but we've grown accustomed to it...Sensei was fond of salty food.'' Yusuke stopped. ''Sensei? What am I saying...Why do still treat him as my mentor...how long will I allow him to control my life?''

''Are you OK?'' Namine wondered.

''Yes. My apologies...I am merely a little confused at the moment. The truth of the matter is that I used to paint in this room...simply for the joy of painting. No matter what I took as my subject, my hands would move of their own accord to capture its essence. But back then I only saw the superficial beauty of the world, I could not see the grime beneath. After learning the truth behind Madarame's actions though...everything changed.'' He frowned. ''I strove to fight back against the newfound ugliness I saw...to display my talent to those who mocked me. I needed to do whatever it took to validate my artistic ability...In search of that meaning, darkness took hold of me...Ultimately, I began to emulate that which I had so deeply despised in Madarame..''

''...You know, Boss told me something very interesting when I was staying with the two of you that night in Leblance...''

''He said...he didn't believe Madarame took me in for my skill alone. I suppose now that I think about it, there would be now way to know whether or now I would have been talented. Namine...why do you think he took me in?''

''Hard to say for sure...'' Morgana tilted his head.

Namine had a thought ''He could have felt sympathetic.''

''Hm...? So we return to matters of the heart again? It truly is a mysterious beast. Even after learning the ugliness of his true nature, a part of me still believes in my former mentor. I simply cannot come to terms with the stark qualities present to humble house and that loathsome Palace...the kind teacher and the fiendishly deceptive artist...It seems even the workings of my own hearts and inexplicable...what then of of my search for pure beauty?''

''Hmm...Say, Yusuke? I've been wondering, did you ever...?''

''?'' He gave Namine a curious look.

''Hello?'' A man's voice called, startling them. ''Is someone there? I'm coming in...'' He walked in. ''...I was wondering who could be in here...''

''You're...the man from the exhibition?''

''Indeed. Thank you for the conversation back there. More importantly, why are you here? I couldn't help but notice the door was open on my work home from work. Are you perhaps still caught in your slump?''

''How do you know?''

''I know a great deal about you, Yusuke-kun. You've made a name for yourself by patterning you work after the beautifully detailed Sayuri. But...that painting at the exhibition was quite different. Have you been trying out new styles?'' He was silent. ''If you'd like...I can advise you. Materials, themes, etc. You seem as though you could use a helping hand now.''

''I...''

''Most of your painting was done in this residence yes? Your current lack of patron must be what is holding you back. Please take my card, I've made a living investing in promising artists like yourself, Yusuke-kkun.''

''Director of the Japanese Art Support Foundation Kawanabe Akiko?'' Yusuke read as his friends came to read the card the man gave him. ''But...why did you choose me? You criticized me so harshly at the exhibit.''

''Because I feel you have talent. Now my foundation can provide you an environment that will allow you to focus and develp your skills. If such a lifestyle interests you, we can talk further at a later date. I have business I must attend to so I hope to see you soon.''

''The Japanese Art support foundation...My opportunity may have finally arrived and it was all because you opened that door to me...You have my thanks, leader.''

''Hey, what're friends for?'' Namine smiled.

* * *

It was just as they returned to Yongen-Jaya and as Namine decided to visit Takemi's clinic that she happened to bump into someone while turning around a corner.

''My apologies-'' The other person paused suddenly. ''-Hyakuya-san?''

The burgundy haired girl blinked at the familiar voice and found herself facing Akechi ''Oh hi, sorry about that...''

''Ah, there's no need for that...it seems I was a bit distracted with the recent news.'' He returned.

Namine looked curious ''Is this about your ongoing investigation on the Phantom Thieves?''

''No...actually, I was asked to put that on halt.'' The detective admitted, surprising the two. ''Since it was going at that slow pace, the police thought to use my services differently. A politician's wife was admitted into a hospital, there's been suspicions that he was abusing her but they can't prove anything. And she's in too much of a bad shape to even consider testifying, though it looks more and more like he is responsible. The less said about his personality, the better. Apparently, he just left her in a terrible state and someone took her to the hospital once he saw her. The trouble is, he seems to have gone off the grid.''

Namine blinked ''Wait, isn't that like really bad? If he's under suspicion, then...''

''...it's effectively giving them a reason to arrest him, that's right.'' Akechi finished for her. ''It's rather strange. All attempts to search were useless and there's not even a sign anywhere that he left the city. That's when the inspector in charge decided to ask for my help.''

''Oh...well, it's nice of you to help. Especially with how invested you seemed in your own work.''

Akechi chuckled ''It's no big deal, really. There's hardly much progress to be said with that investigation anyway. I didn't want to just stay back after hearing that story, that man's disgusting.''

''You can say that again.'' Namine agreed. ''Well, good luck, I hope you pull it off.''

''Thank you.'' Akechi smiled.

''...You know, I never would've imagined he'd do something like that. I have to admit, it's good of him to help.'' Morgana told his companion.

Namine nodded ''It's like what we talked about the other day, let's not judge people before we know them.''

* * *

Takemi sighed, having just had to go after one of her patients who had left a handkerchief behind. The old woman had been pleased to have it back and also full of praise for the doctor, admitting that she had come by after the word spread about her in the community.

''Hey, why the long face?'' Namine inquired once they were back in the clinic. ''That just proves you're making some real nice progress, that lady wasn't the only one who was happy with your work too.''

''...As if it was that simple, kid. I don't know what some of these people are thinking though. I've had a lot of crazy requests. Like, yesterday, a patient requested a sweet-smelling compress. And the other day, I had a request for a cold buster. Ha! A drug like that deserves a noble prize. Other requests have included their hair and skin tonics...I even had to do a consultation about a cat...'' She closed her eyes. ''...Sheesh, it's not like I'm some kind of genius doctor.''

''I'd say you are, but you're acting like it's in the way.''

''That's because it is. I'm only interested in completing the drug I told you about. That's my role as the Plague. I'm not suited for this other stuff.''

''But you've been handling things well. Doing this suits you more.'' Namine stated.

''What?...'' Takemi looked surprised. ''...Really? Well, you're entitled to your opinion, kid. A town doctor, huh...? That sort of lifestyle might've been possible for me at one time, but now...''

''Well, why can't it be? You can get rid of that reputation, none of the people who came to see you care. I know I don't.''

''You're a rare sort yourself but...I did manage to find some help with my trials so I wonder but...'' She shook her head. ''...It looks like that girl is going to make a full recovery.'' Namine smiled at this. ''She wants to see you too by the way. The treatment seems to be a good match for her. So at least I can breathe a little easier for now. Hopefully, she'll be able to attend school soon.''

''Yeah...''

Both were left to tend to a couple making their way in, also having apparently heard the news about the clinic and so decided to come see for themselves.

Namine couldn't help smiling as she noted how they seemed pleased with the result as she returned to the hall in time to hear the wife speak...

''...sure, she's a little strange but that's not so bad.''

''I know, I don't see why she gets that kind of rep either.'' He admitted. ''Then again, I never did like that chief much and from the reaction I saw, I don't think I'm the only one.''

''He _was_ kind of annoying, yeah.'' His wife exhaled. ''I kind of get the impression that he's rather used to having his word being the law and no one does anything about it. He might have bad-mouthed Takemi-san but he wasn't really coming off as a saint either.''

''I'll say...'' The husband paused when he noticed Namine. ''...oh, you're her assistant, correct?''

She nodded ''Could you tell me a little more about this guy? He's been around before. His name came up with one of the other patients too, I'm getting worried. I thought maybe if I knew more, I could help her deal with him.''

''Fair enough, we don't know much but...'' He began to explain.

''...Yeah, I really don't like this guy.'' Morgana decided once the two were on their own. ''He's starting to remind me of our targets. Especially with that shady trial story and how people seem to be taking his presence, I know she told you her part but why the heck is he so determined to get at Takemi?''

''It sounds like he sent another cop to harass her the other day too. Looks like he's really not going to let this go at all.'' Namine frowned, a thought was forming in her mind but she decided it was too early to pursue. ''I think I'm going to look into this some more. It kind of feels like we're missing something here...''

''I know what you mean...'' Morgana blinked as the door nearby opened and Takemi came out.

''Ah, there you are. Well, since I need time to work after the development, I'll be having you assist some more.''

''Hey, I'm game!'' Namine assured.

Takemi smirked ''Good.''

* * *

The following day...

Namine was working with Sojiro in Leblanc and the cafe was quite active. While some of the regulars took time to chat with Sojiro as usual, he was on top of the situation and kept track of everything. Namine alternated between passing out the orders and taking care of the dishes until the people began to clear out.

Sojiro let out a breath, it was nice to see a lot of people come over here but there was no denying the relief he felt when times like this were settled. He glanced at Namine, who was sorting things out in the kitchen and his mind suddenly drifted back to what he overheard her telling Futaba on her first visit.

A part of him did want to talk about that but he mostly just didn't have the heart to bring up her situation back in her old home, especially after what her parents did. This lead him to decide to talk to Yuri and Itsuki, who had confirmed everything and given him the full scope of the situation. Needless to say, he was just as disgusted with those people as his old friends were. He couldn't understand how they could do that to her.

The worst part was, knowing his charge as he did now; if the roles had been reversed, Namine would have stood by them. He was especially glad that Namine's grandparents were her official guardians now. So while he wasn't sure what would happen in regards to her probation, he doubted she would have to go back to that town.

''Boss?'' Namine tilted her head. ''Something wrong?''

''No, just thinking...'' He returned. ''...Futaba's only mentioned it a little so I'm curious, what exactly goes on with your visits anyway?''

''Not much, really. I kind of figured it would be best if I tell her about myself and then she told me a bit on her own end. I don't want to push her so we're just taking it easy, I try to make small talk a lot and help out in general. I don't mind things being slow anyway, I told her I'd come back as long as there's no problem with that plan.''

''Yeah well, believe me kid, I don't think you'll find any complaints on this front. You did more than I expected you too. Thanks, it really means a lot that you'd go through all this.'' The barista stated. He had gotten people to help his daughter in the past but after a while, they'd all given up.

The girl smiled ''You already said that before but no problem, glad I could help.''

* * *

As per their agreement a little while ago, the girls decided to meet up. Since Ann had a shoot and Makoto wanted to see a movie, they split their plans up so Ann and Shiho would meet up with Namine and Makoto once both sides were done and they would head to a new shop in the underground mall.

''Sorry, I got here a bit early. I've been forward to this for sometime, so...'' Makoto trailed off as they paused near the cinema. ''That is...a famous director was responsible for this movie. Who wouldn't want to see it...?''

''You don't really have to explain that badly.'' Morgana remarked.

Namine nodded ''I wasn't going to ask...why do you look so flustered?''

She stiffened ''I-it's nothing! Let's go inside.''

''Someone's really into this...'' Namine told Morgana quietly as the movie played on.

Her feline companion snickered at the look on Makoto's face ''No kidding. Her fists have been clenched this entire time...She was just making that stuff up.''

''T-that wasn't too bad.'' Makoto stated.

''Oh, admit it, you had a blast.'' Namine said with a grin, hearing Morgana snicker again at this.

Makoto looked away ''O-okay, fine...do you think it's weird a girl likes movies like this?''

''Nope, not at all.''

''R-Really?! Thanks, this is the first time I've been told that.'' She smiled. ''Sorry that I called you over so suddenly. It felt weird watching a yakuza film on my own...''

''Ah, don't worry about it...that was interesting.'' Namine returned.

''Glad to hear it. And...as you said, I had a blast. Thanks to you. Shall we be on our way now?''

* * *

As it turned out, their friends were waiting near one of the mall's entrances. After a quick round of greetings, the four girls were on their way (Morgana had taken off on his own earlier).

It was then that Makoto was filled in on Shiho's situation completely, leaving her irked with the students of Shujin.

''I can certainly understanding you wanting to transfer after what happened but I never knew they talked like that.'' She frowned.

''You were lucky to miss it then, sometimes I feel like making gossip and rumors is all they ever do.'' Ann huffed.

''I wouldn't say it's lucky...'' Makoto let out a breath ''...I wish I'd known sooner Shiho-san, if there's anything I can to help...''

Shiho gave a small smile, she had seen some change back when they hung out after the festival but this was still a nice surprise. ''Thank you, Makoto-senpai. I have to say it's great to see how you've changed now.''

''Well, she's actually showing everyone who she really is.'' Namine offered when the brunette looked surprised.

''That's all the more better then. Don't worry about me though, the transfer is more about me also getting a fresh start so it's just fine.''

Namine nodded ''Otherwise it'd be like...what, one step forward, four steps back or something. It'd be a shame if you weren't there, Shiho-chan but it means we've got to make times like these to hang out.''

''Absolutely.'' Ann agreed while Shiho smiled.

''You really do have quite the eye, Ann. But I suppose we should expect that from you.'' Makoto remarked, taking a moment to admire one of the blonde's choices.

Ann smiled ''Thanks, I was surprised to hear that attendant recognize me...it sounded like she saw the cover of one of my latest shoots.''

''Ah, that's right, she did mention something about you improving...''

''Did I? I'm not really sure...''

''You really did, Ann-chan.'' Shiho looked at their friends. ''You should have heard the magazine crew praise her back there. She really blew them away and I can definitey see why.''

''All that work you're putting is now paying off, huh?'' Namine smiled at the blonde, who grinned back.

''Hehe, yeah, I guess so.'' She paused. ''You know, I thought I was doing well in modeling before but I really didn't know anything. Now I'm just raring to improve and be the best model. It's a long term goal but that's what I want to do for the future. What about you, girls?''

''I'm honestly not too sure.'' Shiho admitted.

''Well, I'd imagine I would go into law school...'' Makoto trailed off, though Ann and Namine picked up on her odd tone but they decided to question her later. Both unknowingly had the same thought that she sounded somewhat unsure.

''It's nice to hear that some of us have plans, I don't have the slightest idea.'' Namine said at last.

''To be fair, that's normal, especially given your experiences Namine.'' Makoto stated and Ann hummed in agreement.

Shiho put in her piece ''Senpai's right. You're still coping with all that happened to you lately, I'd say what you're doing now is just fine.''

''Exactly, there's no rush. We can all figure out the best choice for us the right way.'' Ann offered.

''That's true...'' Namine returned, feeling a little better with the words as she thought things over. ''...there's no knowing what the future holds but it's up to us to make the most of our time now, right?''

''Exactly.'' Makoto agreed.

''I couldn't have said it better, Namine-chan.'' Shiho added with a smile of her own.

* * *

 _Okay, let's stop here._

 _What do you think? I hope this was good. It's a way of getting me back to writing this again as I've really had a hard time of it lately, things were so busy. Anywho, I couldn't just focus on the Palace all the time so I wanted something a little different._

 _That new investigation with Akechi is part of a little idea I have and you'll see how it wraps up by the end of the arc. I know the whole work on the Phantom Thieves is a big deal for the police but with his rep and progress, it was thought he could really help them on this case. He's also a little more motivated after hearing of the situation. Well, I just don't want to play everything just like canon. Where's the fun in that? Oh and something I haven't realized before, I messed up, Takemi's ranking was 5 not 6 like I put up before. It's officially 6 now._

 _Well then, thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 7)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 3)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	35. Chapter 35

_Vangran: Thanks, always nice to hear from you. All I can say now without giving away too much is that the new investigation has a couple of consequences that tie directly into my long term plot and it relates to one of my ideas for Akechi. You'll see later down the line._

* * *

After a little preparation and some rest, the Phantom Thieves returned to Futaba's Palace.

One of the most notable things in the new area they had uncovered before was the Anubis statue in its center. Previous experience made them look at it closer and they immediately found that one of its gems was gone. Reasoning that they would need to find the other one of the pair to help them proceed, they stop and search around the area.

Panther looked a little unnerved as she glanced at the coffins ''I knew those things were rattling...'' Her eyes widened when she heard something like a croak coming from somewhere nearby. ''...what was that?!''

''Mona did say this place was full of shadows. Be careful, this would make a rather good way for them to strike us.'' Fox pointed out.

''I hear you...yeesh, talk about creepy...''

''Aw come on, you face the other monsters we took on and a little shaky coffin is too much for you? Ya gotta toughen up, Panther.'' Skull stated.

''Shut it, you jerk!'' She snapped, leaving him to inwardly cringe at the look she gave.

''You really don't have any delicacy, Skull.'' Mona deadpanned.

Queen sighed and looked at Joker ''Honestly, the way they're acting you'd think we weren't in the Palace...''

The girl looked bemused ''Well, guess they can't help themselves. It's not doing any harm though so let them be. I'd take that over them being tense and worked up all the time anyway.''

''I suppose you do have a point...'' The brunette took another look around the hall and frowned, seeing no other way out besides the one they used to enter. ''...maybe we're better off looking somewhere else.''

''Sure looks like it.'' Mona agreed. In seconds, as they passed the path near the coffins, a dark figure leapt out of two and blocked their way. ''What?!''

It was a pair of Anubis shadows, one of who snarled and attacked Skull, who knew he would have no time to dodge and so put his guard up. The other Anubis cast Makouga and the others are also left to either dodge or get out of the way. The first one then goes on to use Mudoon on Queen, who is confused when nothing happens. She waves the thought of and dodges the next oncoming attack before punching the shadow. Seeing an opening, Mona ran to slash the shadow next. When both shadows make to cast magic, Joker had Anzu dive on one while Panther blasts the other with Carmen's help before a combined attack from Skull and Fox took it down. The second Anubis cast Makouga, with its targets this time able to dodge. Panther whipped it before Joker struck its side and Queen finished it off with Johanna.

Skull let out a breath ''That's that...Man, never thought these things could actually pop out like this-we better really watch out step.''

''No kidding...'' Panther agreed, eyeing another coffin warily. This made her notice a gleam to her far right, where one of the shadows' spells had wrecked a part of the wall. Her eyes lit up when it turned out that the gleam was from the gem they were looking for. ''...on the plus side, look what I found!''

Mona perked up ''Good eye, Panther!'' The girl smiled and went to put it on the pedestal. A second later, a part of the wall shifted and slid out of sight, revealing a new path. ''Let's go!''

* * *

The new path took them to a hall with an odd mural which appeared to be in pieces.

Skull cocked his head ''Looks like a puzzle. Think we should put it together?''

Queen thought that over ''Yes, this is Futaba's cognition after all. It may just help us learn more about her.''

With that decided, they set about to put the pieces together. Once they were done, the mural revealed to be of a younger Futaba and a woman with dark hair and glasses who was most likely her mother. Futaba appeared to be pulling at Wakaba's skirt with a pleading look while her mother seemed upset.

''Huh, looks like it's her representation of a memory.'' Mona mused.

 _'Mom, come on...'_

The new voice left everyone bewildered but Zorro then spoke 'This is similar to the other voices, a part of Futaba's memory.'

 _'I said wait, Futaba.'_

 _'But I'm tired of eating alone!'_

 _'Don't be selfish! Just wait and let me finish my research, I have to do it no matter what.'_

''Research? That Cognitive Psience you told us about?'' Fox clarified.

Mona nodded ''She was actually working on it before...we weren't sure but maybe it relates to the Metaverse.''

''You know, if Futaba trusts Joker she's doing a lousy job of showing it. It sounds like getting info from her is like pulling teeth.'' Skull remarked.

''Don't be so hard on her. I think talking about her mom's just really hard. Asking her to trust anyone right away is just too much.'' Their leader stated.

Mona nodded ''Don't forget, Joker's gentle approach is the entire reason she was able to even begin to get through to Futaba in the first place.''

''True,'' Queen concurred. ''This is the best way to handle such a delicate situation. Let's be thankful for small mercies.'' She glanced at the mural with distaste. ''...That was a little too much.''

Panther frowned ''I'll say. What's wrong with a kid wanting a little attention?''

Joker bit her lip, remembering what Futaba told her about their similar situations regarding certain family members. The conditions were different but the end result was the same, both her parents and Wakaba appeared completely indifferent to how the two of them felt. She was really hoping things weren't as bad as the girl made it sound but those hopes were dashed with what they saw here.

What she couldn't understand though was how things added up with Wakaba. Sojiro made her sound like such a good and caring mother, why would she treat her like that? Were they still missing something or was her mother pushed over the limit like what they heard?

* * *

After ending a battle with four shadows, one of the enemies stumbled as it faded away, inadvertently pressing a tile on the ground. This seemed to make something shift nearby and the next thing everyone knew, a part of the walls on their left and right was raised, revealing a number of spears that were immediately launched at them.

''What the-!?''

Fox thought fast and summoned Goemon, having him create a shield of thick ice that repelled the projectiles. Though more appeared in moments and were clearly about to be fired.

''Arsene, Midnight Salvo!''

The gentleman thief flew up at the command, unleashing a barrage of black and red blasts that struck both traps, wrecking them in moments to everyone's relief. Mona held back a groan ''I should have known there'd be more traps about...sorry. Nice work, guys!''

''Don't feel bad, we didn't see that coming either. Talk about bad luck...'' Joker trailed off.

''Indeed, at least it turned out well.'' Fox added. ''That was quite the skill though, Joker. I don't recall seeing it before.''

''Ah, that's because we learned it recently. It's like I told you guys before, my being a Wild Card and all kinda makes Arsene's growth complicated.''

''Oh yeah...'' Panther recalled her mentioning it once and they had seen proof of Arsene's prowess before. ''...guess even a power convenient as that one has to have a setback. Well, at least you're pulling it off.''

Joker nodded back, noticing something odd from the corner of her eye. She followed it back to a blue coffin, raising an eye when it turned out to be a green stream flowing out of it. ''What's all that?''

'It seems as if they're numbers.'

''What?'' Skull blinked at his Persona's statement before squinting and realizing Seiten Taisei was right. ''Hey yeah...what's up with that?''

''I think it's binary code.'' The two looked at Queen curiously. ''It's the common basic code used in computers. That's fitting considering who Futaba is.'' She walked closer to the source of the stream, finding a number of blue coffins lined up before her, all had a similar stream pouring out.

Mona eyed them curiously, glancing at the magic wall that blocking their path ''Think we can use them somehow? Otherwise it looks like we'll have to backtrack and find another way.''

The girl stopped to think, glancing at the streams for a moment before she took a closer look at a coffin. It seemed different from the ones they'd seen before, clearly enemy free. When her hand brushed against it, the coffin started to glow. The same happened when she touched another coffin. ''Hmm...I have an idea.''

Deciding to make use of the binary code, Queen made it so that one coffin was glowing and the other didn't. This quickly proved to be the right choice as the magic wall dissipated in seconds, leaving Queen pleased as her friends praised her.

Just as they were about to keep going, three shadows appeared in their way. Two Lamia and a Sandman. Mona called upon Zoro to use Magarula on both Lamia and throws one down. The Sandman almost managed to get Panther to sleep with Dormina but Skull and Carmen snapped her out it. The blond's eyes narrowed and she flanked the shadow with her whip before summoning her Persona to burn it. One of the Lamias appear as if they were using the same move that summons more of their kind while the second casts Agilao on Queen, who dodged it and then summoned Johanna to ram the first Lamia before it could go any further.

''Mabufu!'' Said shadow was then defeated by Goemon's ice magic.

Skull bashed the Lamia on the head but then it retaliated with a slash that left him wincing before it proceeded to move on Joker, who was standing the closest. The girl defended herself quickly before summoning Arsene.

''Mistral Soul!'' She called. Arsene raised an eye, releasing a number of pale blue spheres that spun around the Lamia, generating a vortex that destroyed it. This gave Skull ample opportunity to strike at the Sandman, having Seiten Taisei blast it with lightning. With it thrown down and left very weakened, Joker was able to have it become one of her masks.

* * *

The thieves discovered another hall with a mural and they proceeded to put it back together. Though this one made them feel a lot worse than the first one.

Why, one may ask? Well...

Skull stiffened for a moment when the realization sank in ''Wait, so this is when...''

''Yes...'' Fox grimaced. ''...we already know Futaba was there when her mother committed suicide.''

The image before them depicted just that, Futaba kneeling on the street while her mother was falling before a car with her trying to reach out. Perhaps it may be because they were in her Palace but the image just seemed to exude a terrible sense of sadness and pain, guilt as well.

As if that weren't bad enough, the representation of the voices resounded again.

 _'Freak!'_

 _'Murderer!'_

 _'It's all your fault!'_

Mona frowned ''Not again...''

Next came Wakaba's voice _'Futaba never should've been born, she was nothing but a burden. I've had enough. No more.'_

Then, oddly enough, a sharp shriek sounded out in the distance, leaving the group understandably bewildered. Just what in the...?

 _'It's all my fault.'_ Futaba's voice said, though her shadow was nowhere in sight. _'I killed Mom so I'll die here.'_

Panther couldn't take this anymore ''Don't talk like that!''

 _'I'll let it all end.'_

''No!'' The red clad girl cried but silence fell. She started when someone placed a hand on her shoulder and turned to see it was Queen. ''...I just...''

''I know...'' She assured, knowing why this would be upsetting for her most of all.

Mona had a good guess as well. He wouldn't be surprised if the blonde was thinking of Shiho. The feline thief could see one poignant similarity in the girls' respective situations. Both Shiho and Futaba were pushed to such extremes that they came to think of death as their only release.

''This is all wrong.'' Panther muttered, looking away from the mural.

Joker nodded ''But we're the one who are going to make things right. Come on.''

* * *

Coming across more treasure chests, the thieves put their findings away and pressed on, finding a room with a number of red coffins. Closer examination revealed that this was a little similar to the room with the blue coffins but with no apparent code.

Panther tilted her head a bit ''Hey, this is just a guess but if it's kind of like that place can't we try what we did there in reverse?''

''You think we should...?'' Mona was unsure about the idea.

''It's a good way to start.'' Fox stated.

''Mmhm, sounds fine. So if we reverse the order...'' Joker skipped the first coffin and touched the second one, making it glow. Panther followed suit and went to the fourth one. Following that order, they soon finished with them.

The sound of rumbling made them look to the far right just as a part of the wall moved, revealing a new entrance.

''All right!''

As they made their way over, Mona happened to notice a particularly fragile looking part of the wall nearby. Calling for the others to take a look, he hurried over and with some help, managed to break it.

This showed a pair of Isis shadows standing before a treasure chest, leaving the group to prepare for battle. Queen hit the two shadows with a Flash Bomb before Joker cut one deeply on the arm and Skull shot the other. At Mona's prompt, he and Fox combined their magics to create a snow storm that caused a lot of damage. This left both shadows vulnerable and they fell to a few more attacks.

''That was easy.'' Panther noted with satisfaction. ''Good call back there, Mona.''

''Why thank you, Panther. Glad to see someone appreciates my skills!''

''Ah, we appreciate that plenty, cat. We know you're good. No one wants you getting an even bigger head.'' Skull stated.

''What was that?! It sounds rich coming from you of all people!''

''What?!''

The rest sighed in exasperation as another fight started. Queen pinched the bridge of her nose ''How do they not get tired of this?''

''From what Panther tells me, they've been at each other's throats right from the beginning. I wonder if they'll ever get tired of it...'' Fox trailed off while Panther looked annoyed.

''Okay, enough.'' Joker said flatly. ''Mona, you were the one who warned us about there being a lot of shadows around here, remember? The last thing we need is more trouble on top of everything else. Skull was actually complimenting you, even if the phrasing was uncalled for.''

''Sorry...'' The two returned. The girl decided to leave it at that and went to unlock the treasure chest, finding that it held another more jewels, among them an Abyss Gem.

Queen looked curious ''That's another of the Anubis statues' gems but I haven't seen any in a while.''

''I saw one just before we came in here.'' Fox offered as helped Mona gather up the rest of the treasure. ''We're not too far off, I'll show you.''

The location he had in mind turned out to be the far end of the hall they had entered earlier with it being located close to a corner, leaving Panther surprised.

''Wow, he actually saw it all the way from here? That's an artist's observation skill for you...''

''I'll say. Good eye, Fox.'' Joker praised the teen, who smiled in return.

''Now let's be on our way.''

* * *

The gem showed a new way that lead them into the Great Corridor and they were more than half way up the stairs now.

''The treasure's beyond that giant door, right?'' Queen asked Mona, with both glancing at the structure in that distance.

''Yup, it won't be long now!''

''Nice!'' Skull enthused. ''Well then, let's...''

He stopped in his tracks as a familiar black pool formed before it gathered into three shadows, a Mot, a Lamia and a Naga.

The latter two shadows attacked with a Rising Slash and Giant Slice respectively, striking Panther and Fox, with the second cutting the Naga back.

Queen's eyes narrowed ''That shadow in the middle is just like the one we first start going through this place. It's weak to wind magic, so is that Naga shadow. The Lamia is weak to ice.''

''Then I'll start us off. Come, Zorro!'' Mona exclaimed. ''Garula!''

Seeing the Naga trying to get away prompted Joker into action, she quickly summoned Sandman and had it use the same spell. While it almost got off, both the spells merged, causing a strong gale that pushed the shadows back. The Mot also moved then, attacking the party with a Megido spell which they shook off and just in time as it proceeded to try ramming every member it could reach, with Mona able to dodge in time and Joker forced to guard as a result.

''Johanna, Mafrei!'' Queen cast.

''Let's go, Seiten Taisei!'' Skull exclaimed. ''Swift Strike!''

As the name implied, the Persona attacked with great speed, striking all the enemies repeatedly. Using the opening the blond gave him, Fox had Goemon attack the Lamia with a Bufula, leaving it dizzy and vulnerable as Mona finished it off with a few pellets from his slingshot.

''Now, Carmen, Maragion!'' Panther cast. The femme fatale persona struck both enemies with a torrent of flames. The Mot tried using what they quickly realized was the spell that changed the target into a rat, leaving Joker, it intended target, to get out of the way and strike back. Queen tackled the shadow with Johanna just as the Naga finished a Marakukaja spell on itself and Mot. This helped it endure the oncoming attacks much more easily just ast Mot cast another Megido.

Skull frowned as the shadow was able to fly up after Seiten Taisei's lightning hit the mark ''Looks like it got some buff...''

Panther smirked ''Let's fix that. Dekaja!'' Carmen waved her hand, creating a force field that floored both shadows. Skull had his Persona attack one enemy with Bad Beat while he faced the other. The Mot was sent reeling but then it seemed to regain balance as an aura surrounded it...

Deciding it couldn't hurt to try, Joker proceeded to hit the shadow with a few bullets. While it didn't seem to be a very effective move, it served to distract the enemy and the girl made sure to use as she attacked then. She switched Personas to Arsene and nailed both enemies with a Midnight Salvo. Panther whipped the Naga when it tried to attack her, allowing Queen to finish it off with a couple of punches. Mona took a moment to heal everyone while the rest kept the shadows away from him.

Mot attacked with another Megido but then was sent down by Goemon's Giant Slice, only to be barely able to dodge Arsene's claws. This also left it open to Fox and Skull's oncoming attacks. Zorro weakened it further with a Garula, giving the party a chance to finish it off with an All Out Attack.

''Now that's what I'm talkin' about!'' Skull grinned. ''We're this close, how about we keep going?''

''Remember, it'll be like with Kaneshiro. Let's not jump into things, we don't know what awaits us.'' Queen pointed out.

''Gotcha!'' The teen paused as he spotted something where one of the shadows was and picked it up, revealing a skill card. Deciding to deal with it later, he put the item away and followed the others up the stairs.

* * *

It wasn't long before they discovered a problem.

''It's locked?''

''Yeah...'' Panther frowned. ''...we can't get it open. But why?''

''Think there's a way to open it somewhere else?'' Skull asked.

''This door...'' Joker frowned pensively, it reminded her of her something.

And she wasn't the only who thought so.

''Yeah, it looks familiar!'' Mona exclaimed. ''Wait, I remember now, that's Futaba's room's door.''

''So why ain't it openin'?'' Skull asked.

''It must be her cognition that no one can enter.''

Futaba's shadow appeared ''I'm surprised that you made it this far. Beyond lies the Pharoah's chamber.''

''So the treasure's through here?'' Panther clarified.

''Indeed, however you need my permission to open the door.''

''Then open it for us.'' Mona said.

''I cannot. You must have her invite you in.''

Skull blinked ''What the eff. Ain't this your Palace?''

''Wait...are you talking about your real self?'' Queen guessed.

''Precisely.'' She confirmed.

''So we need to have Futaba-chan open her door and let us in?'' Panther clarified.

The shadow looked at the group in turn before pausing on a single member ''Considering it's you, this might be possible...'' She disappeared.

''How do we do it though? Boss said she won't let anyone in.'' Fox recalled.

''...Actually, I think we might have a shot at this.'' Queen mused.

''My thoughts exactly, Queen.'' Mona stated as they both looked at the person who they suspected might be able to help make it happen.

Joker looked at them curiously but Fox understood ''You mean...''

''You saw how the shadow acted after what Joker did and what she just said. I think she really did impact Futaba in some ways.'' Mona stated.

''Yeah, Joker was practically the reason the Palace re-opened.'' Skull recalled.

''You think Futaba-chan would believe in you to make this work?'' Panther asked their leader.

''I don't know but we'll have to find out. For now, let's go back.''

* * *

 _Okay, let's stop here._

 _So how was it? Since I got a little free time, I managed to put this together. I wanted something to help me draw the Palace exploration to a close before going any further. Anymore than this and it felt like I'd really be dragging it on. Anyway, I honestly didn't know where to end the chapter otherwise._

 _I've been trying to decide on what skills to give Arsene for a while so I wound up creating those and there are a few more on the way. I've been meaning to but I had to deal with a lot of the stuff in the story, like the Wild Card thing. It took me a while to get used to working with that. It doesn't help that I tend to be really indecisive sometimes. I know it sure took long but better late than never, right?_

 _He'll be able to use other elements with the exception of Bless. To clarify, Midnight Salvo is a physical type attack while Mistral Soul is an ice element spell. I'm really looking forward to having Futaba interact with everyone, she's one of my favorites and I've had a few ideas to her interactions with Namine and it all looks good._ _Also, to avoid any confusion, I fixed the mistake with Yusuke's confidant from the previous chapter and put the right event in place_

 _Well then, thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up. I'd appreciate if you could let me know what you think of the story. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 7)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 4)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 3)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	36. Chapter 36

_Vangran: Hehe, well I'm glad you liked it. I don't know about fixing the whole Mona and Skull issue seeing as how complicated it can be but I do have a way of working through it. That idea's also a way for me to introduce Mercurius in the story later, I'm not waiting till the SL maxes out. I totally agree that Skull shouldn't be needling him all the time but it seems more like a case of both sides being wrong as Mona isn't really helping with how he kept insulting Skull too._

* * *

The Phantom Thieves were finishing up preparations for their next entry into Futaba's Palace, with Namine and Makoto taking care of the supplies and medicine while the others promised to see to the weapons. One thing lead to another and Makoto wound up learning that had been taking some time to prepare food for Yusuke from time to time, something Sojiro happened to overhear as the girls were heading up to Namine's room.

''Huh, I wondered about those boxes...'' Sojiro mused. ''...never thought you'd be making food for that kid. What, does he use up all his money for art supplies or something?''

Namine and Makoto exchanged glances, wondering how to tell him that he was likely more or less spot on.

There was no need to worry though as he caught on fast ''Wait, seriously?'' That had actually been the first possiblity that came to mind so he really didn't think it was right. Their expressions were enough of an answer though. ''Good grief, someone needs to talk to him about priorities...''

''I tried.'' Makoto said with an exasperated tone. ''Honestly, I'm not sure how much of that sunk in. Yusuke tends to be so single minded at times that it's a little worrying.''

''Yeah and getting stuck with someone like Madarame for this long wasn't exactly doing him any favors.'' Namine added.

''Can't argue with that.'' Sojiro agreed. ''Habits can be pretty hard to break so he's just going to find some balance in life. Well he's got friends like you two, that sounds like good support to me.''

The girls smiled ''Thanks, Boss.''

* * *

A while later, Sojiro left to get some ingredients and the girls decided to keep an eye on things...

''We've had a practice entry exam recently...'' Makoto started. ''...my score was significantly lower than last time. I'm concerned...''

''Is it because of the Thieves work?'' Namine wondered.

''No, I was sure to set aside an appropriate amount of time to study. The truth is...recently I've started questioning the entire point of my education. What do I stand to gain from getting good grades and living up to the high expectations my sister has set for me? I spoke to Eiko about this matter as well but the answer hasn't become any clearer...''

''Really? What happened?''

''Well, we've been calling each other every so often since we exchanged contact information. Because of those calls, we've actually grown somewhat close. When I voiced my concern to her, she asked me how I would benefit from going to a top university...But...I couldn't come up with a good answer. As for Eiko, her grades are not the best but she claims she doesn't even think about that stuff. Apparently, her parents can use their connections to find her a job. But isn't that a little irresponsible? It's nice that she can rely on her parents but this is her life not theirs...'' She closed her eyes. ''...I guess that's a different way of approaching things. Even at that, her vision of the future is still clearer than mine.''

Namine thought this over ''So with the way things changed lately, your own perspective changed too, right?''

''Exactly. I used to think doing what others expected of me was the best way forward. I was going to major in law, like my sister did. And after that, I would simply have headed down whatever path society had made for me...But everything changed when I joined the Phantom Thieves. I've realized now that there are more important things than being a prim and proper honor student. Honestly, I would have looked down on Eiko's line of thinking in the past but I know better now.'' Makoto took her phone out as it buzzed, giggling a moment later. ''She must have known I was talking about her. Lately, Eiko's been telling me whenever she buys makeup or finds a cute new outfit. That reminds me, she asked me the other day what kind of hand cream I use. I sent her a picture...and it's apparently the same brand they use in the nurse's office at school.''

''Huh, that's some coincidence.''

''I know, right? She told me like I'm a middle aged man in the body of a high school girl...Regardless, that stuff works wonders for dry skin and it's great value. My father used to use it all the time. Did I ever tell you he was a police officer?'' Namine nodded. ''He detested the corruption in our society and worked tirelessly to bring it to justice. But despite the rough exterior, he was extremely gentle deep down. When I was little, I told him I wanted to grow up to be a police officer just like him. He was glad to hear it but he was quick to say that he didn't want me doing something so dangerous. I had completely forgotten about that dream to be honest...''

''So you want to make it happen?''

''I don't know. I barely just remembered it...Either way, after everything that happened...''

''Yeah, our situation would make that pretty awkward.'' Namine nodded.

Makoto hummed in agreement ''I think I need to re-examine what goals for the future are outside of just plain studying. You know, it feels like I remembered something important today thanks to you. As you say, my perspective changed and now after meeting Eiko, my viewpoint has broadened.''

Namine smiled to herself, she liked that the girl was opening up. Makoto was proving to be a kind friend and a reliable advisor but it was times like this that made her feel closer to her friends.

''For what it's worth, I don't think there's anything wrong with that.'' She offered. ''If anything, people who remain inflexible and don't adjust to the changes in life are the ones with a real problem. Sounds to me like you have to figure out what's right for you now.''

''You may have a point there...'' The brunette returned. ''...it's nice to have someone to talk to about these things, thank you, Namine.''

Smiling, the younger girl was about to say something but both were then distracted when the cafe's door opened, revealing a newly arrived Akechi.

''Oh, hello there.'' He started, the girls returned the greeting (albeit a bit tersely in Makoto's case) before taking a seat and requesting coffee.

While Namine went to get it ready, the detective raised an eye ''Ah, so Sakura-san isn't here?''

''No, but Namine's been helping out plenty so he knows he can trust her to watch things.'' Makoto replied.

''I see...''

''I'll try not to poison you, Mr. Ace Detective.'' Namine joked as she joined them.

Akechi looked amused as he responded ''I'm sure it'll be fine.''

''...You know, I've heard a couple of strange things about you lately.'' Makoto said after a few moments.

''Oh?''

The girl decided to address something she had been wondering about for a while ''My sister was talking on the phone earlier the other day. She seems convinced that you're not taking things seriously, even moreso now that you apparently picked up some new investigation.''

''It sounds like Sae-san.'' Akechi shook his head. ''The officer in charge of that investigation really helped me out back when I first started working as a detective. It's thanks in part to him that I made the progress I did so I think it's only fair to help.''

''It's also pretty decent of you.'' Namine added as she walked over with a coffee cup in hand, which she promptly gave to him. ''How's that going by the way?''

''Not too good, I'm afraid.'' He admitted. ''I can see why the case troubled him. I only came here for a little break before going back to the station, but I'm not about to let things lie as they are.''

''It'd be good to hear that your efforts pay off, I wish they could. This guy sounds like a menace.'' Namine remarked.

Makoto (who was already aware of the case thanks to Sae) agreed ''So there's really no leads?''

''Not yet.'' Akechi replied. ''Even if it does seem like he disappeared, there has to be some clue we've missed. I'd hate to think that we'd let him get away, he has to face justice.'' He took a sip of the coffee. ''Ah, seems you've been taught well, Hyakuya-san.''

''It's not even close to Boss' coffee but thanks.'' She returned. ''Say, out of curiosity, what made you want to be a detective?''

''Well, actually...''

* * *

''Thanks for coming with me, Namine-chan.'' Shiho said as they entered one of the shops.

''I should thank you for telling me about this place.'' The burgundy haired girl returned.

The former had suggested coming to Jinbocho as she was searching for a certain couple of books. Namine had been trying to find the other books in a story she had read after borrowing a book from the school library but to no avail. After hearing about Jinbocho, she decided this was worth giving a try. As luck would have it, she found all three books rather quickly and Shiho had gotten her own books as well.

''I think I've heard of this series.'' The dark haired girl remarked, glancing at one of Namine's books. ''Is it good?''

''Yeah, pretty interesting actually. I just came across the first book a couple of days before the holidays kicked off and I really wanted to find out what happened. I was beginning to think I'd have to wait until school restarts or something...''

Shiho looked intrigued, she was about to comment when she happened to spot a familiar face nearby, not one she expected at all. It was Mishima.

The boy was rigid, looking rather nervous when his eyes fell on her, though the girl wasn't sure why. Namine came around the corner, curious after her sudden pause.

''Oh, Mishima-kun...''

Namine was left similarly confused by the sudden tension in the air, more from Mishima than Shiho and she wasn't sure what to make of it. It looked like the boy wanted to say something but he kept hesitating.

'Is it so surprising? This may be the first time they came across each other ever since that incident.' Arsene suggested.

That actually made a lot of sense. And considering the way things went down...

''We were just finishing up here.'' The girl's voice broke the silence. ''Everything's fine, in case you were wondering. In fact, I was just considering maybe picking up getting some ice cream or something after this. But I digress, you wanted to say something?''

''Oh...a-ah, right...'' Mishima faltered. Truthfully, he'd been afraid to face Shiho again. He hadn't known the girl well but she was kind. She certainly didn't deserve what happened to her. Mishima could be honest with himself and admit that he wouldn't be surprised if Shiho hated him. ''...S-Suzui-san, I...I'm so sorry!'' Shiho looked surprised but the boy went on before she could verablize the emotion. ''I knew...I knew what Kamoshida did was terrible and...and I just p-played along. B-but, if I hadn't...I'm sorry!''

''...You heard Namine-chan. Everything's fine now.'' Shiho said after a moment. ''Yes, things were terrible but we're all moving on. I can't blame you, I was hardly any better at handling things under Kamoshida. We were trapped but now we're free and that's what matters to me, we're never going back.''

Mishima could hardly believe his ears but he bowed and managed to respond after a few moments ''T-thank you.''

The girls exchanged a look and smiled before Shiho went on ''I like that ice cream suggestion. You want to join us, Mishima-kun?''

''If...if that's okay...'' He started.

''Sure it is, let's go.'' Namine said.

* * *

Morgana jumped onto the bed and faced Namine, the two had returned to the attic after dinner ''Huh, so that's how it was? I never thought he didn't see her before...''

''Me neither but I'm glad it's worked out. Their time dealing with Kamoshida is a distant memory now, that's for the best.''

''True,'' the cat agreed. ''Wonder what memories I had before all this went down...you know, I've been thinking...remember when I went to spy on Futaba? From the way she acts, I kind of get the feeling that there are somethings she doesn't remember.''

Namine looked surprised ''Wait, really?''

''It's a hunch, so I'm not sure. Still, it would make sense, right? Watching what happened to her mother must have been a terrible shock, not even counting everything else. I figure it would stand to reason that she wound up repressing some of her memories.''

''You're right.'' Namine agreed, having not considered that angle. And she felt all the more foolish for it because she could relate all too well. ''We're going back tomorrow, let's hope we can figure it all out.''

''Mm, I want that too...it'd be good to have someone like her on our side. We might be able to retrieve my lost memories too if we pull this off.'' Morgana mused. ''I'm not saying that's all the reasons I want to help or anything...''

''I know, I know.'' She cut in. ''I think we came far enough for me to say you're not like that. Sounds like what we all have in common as phantom thieves is that we don't like watching injustice and cruelty and doing nothing about it.''

''Yeah...yeah, you're right!'' Morgana agreed. ''It reminds me of what you said about Zorro-a strong defender of justice. That's the kind of person I want to be.''

Namine began to smile ''Well, for what it's worth, you're doing pretty well.''

The cat grinned at this before responding ''Ah, it's nothing compared to you...'' And he meant it too, not even counting what she had been through two years ago, there was what Namine did now. She had more than enough reason to choose not to be a phantom thief but she did it to help others. Take Futaba for instance, part of the reason things wound up the way they did at the Palace was that Namine had gone simply out of concern for the girl.

The way Morgana saw it, Namine had a heart of gold. Wild card or not, he was glad she was the team's leader.

''Thanks...'' Namine leaned back. ''...I never imagined it would be like this when we started out but what we do is actually liberating for me. I've decided a long time ago to give everything I do my all, so I wouldn't have any regrets. After the arrest, I was oppressed but I was released after finding out about the Metaverse. You remember how I told you that I read about Arsene Lupin?'' Morgana nodded and she went on. ''Well, I know he's an anti-hero but the whole story left a good impression on me. At the end of the day, he still had the strength and freedom to be his true self. That's what I wanted for me...Does that sound weird?''

''No, I get it.'' The feline assured. ''I can see why that would appeal to you. It sounds like you've done good on that too, just look at us. Personal reasons aside, even if some people don't understand it, we're fighting for what's right in our own way, being true to ourselves. There's no denying the effects we caused already.''

''That's totally true. And we're going to keep it up, we'll stop the black masked guy and get rid of the distortions in the depth of Mementos.'' Namine stated.

''Right, at the end of the day we're the only ones who can.'' Morgana added before he proceeded to lie down. ''And tomorrow's just another step forward, so let's rest up.''

Namine nodded and went to switch the lights off...

* * *

Later, that same night, Namine awoke in the Velvet Room...

Caroline walked up to the cell's entrance ''So you wanted to come again, inmate? Well, what is it?''

''We're going back to the Palace tomorrow so I was thinking of stopping here to prepare my Personas.'' Namine admitted.

''All right, here you are then.'' She handed her the Compendium through the gate's bars just as Justine joined them.

Minutes later, after running things through, Namine fused Sandman with a Sudama from the Compendium and created the Ame-no-Uzume Persona the twins had asked for.

Caroline smirked ''Not bad, Inmate. That's another one done. You know, I never thought you'd keep at this even though it's not mandatory.''

''Well, it's been pretty useful so why not?'' Namine returned.

''Heh, you're pretty interesting, Inmate!''

''I must say...as Caroline noted before, this list is quite well thought out. The tasks are designed to push you toward achieving your foals while also measuring your true strengths.'' Justine remarked.

''Hm? I guess so...'' Her twin said. ''...Hey, Inmate! What're your thoughts on these tasks?''

''Well, they're pretty tough but they seem to help out in the long run so I think she's right.'' Namine returned.

''Such a response is proof that they are the proper difficulty.'' Justine noted with satisfaction.

''Oh. Well, we should give her the next one. Let's see her...'' Caroline's eye suddenly widened. ''...Huh?! W-what the...It feels like I've seen the writing on this before.''

''Do you speak of the penmanship?'' Her sister wondered.

''Yeah, dammit...I can't remember! Do you recognize it, Justine?''

''Hmm...'Compliment her after she finishes the next task. Don't spoil her though. Do it just like you've practiced, with a piercing glare and angled hips'...''

''Wait, not that! Those are my notes! I...uh, mean...''

''It seems you have been rather looking forward to the Inmate's visits.'' Justine gave a small smile while Namine looked at the girl in surprise.

Caroline was clearly embarrassed ''Never mind that! I-I'm talking about the handwriting of the tasks themselves! Stop yanking my chain!''

''Hm...Now that you mention it, I do feel as though I've seen that handwriting somewhere before.'' Justine mused.

''Hey...I just had a thought.'' The twins looked at Namine. ''How long have you two been here?''

''What're you bringing that up for now?'' Caroline demanded.

''Well, this world has been around for a while. Two years at least if our suspicions about the mental shutdowns are all true. Couldn't that list have been left by some of the people who were in the Velvet Room before you?''

The two shared a surprised look, neither having thought of it that way.

''Now that you mention it...'' Justine eyed the list with some curiosity.

''Huh, never thought of that...'' Caroline blinked.

''It may explain this sense of deja vu I feel when reading the list.'' Justine went on. ''You may be right about this, Inmate. I wonder who it could be...and why they made the list?''

''Whaddya mean? The goal's pretty obvious. It's to help train the inmate.''

Justine wasn't satisfied with that ''Beyond that though, what exactly is the purpose of training her?''

''...Rehabilitation?''

''But that is merely our master's order. Someone else wrote this correct? It's even stranger if you consider the Inmate's theory.''

Caroline paused to think ''...Then let's just assume there's some purpose we don't know about. If we're right in out assumption, the purpose'll be clear once she finishes the whole list, right?''

''...I suppose you have a point.'' Justine smiled. ''Hearing something logical from you is like a cool rush of air amidst the sweltering heat of summer.''

''You didn't need to say that!'' Caroline retorted. ''And what're you smiling about, Inmate? You better not be laughing at me!''

''No, I'm not...'' Namine assured, still amused. ''...I just can't help but think...you two remind me a little of a pair of siblings I used to baby sit before. They couldn't be more different if you tried but they still got along really well.''

''Oh yeah?''

''I suppose that is fitting...Now then, Inmate, let us reward for successfully completing the task.'' Justine carried on. ''We will grant you access to the Guillotine Booster.''

''Think of it as a way to increase the number of personas you can make with the Group Guillotine.'' Caroline elaborated. ''Plus, you can no some super strong fusions using five or six Personas. You should be able to figure it out with some effort, Inmate, I mean you've come this far, right?''

''We trust you will employ it wisely.'' Justine added.

''Thanks.'' Namine half-smiled.

Justine nodded slightly ''Now I will give you the next assigntment. Please note that the next privilege we provide for you will be quite powerful indeed. Therefore, we will require that you complete three tasks before you can receive it.''

''Whoa...okay, must be some privilege. Let's hear it.''

Caroline chuckled ''All right, here's task number one! A Neko Shogun with the skill Dekaja. You know the drill, come see us once you've got it. But first, put all your efforts into the job tomorrow or else you're going to hear it from me. You got that?''

Namine held back a laugh ''Well, we certainly wouldn't want that. You got it, Caroline.''

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope this was good. Things have been real irritating lately so I haven't been in much of a mood to sort my plans out like I wanted to. But it's getting a little better since I completed my thesis yesterday. Now my supervisor has to make the call... Please wish me luck, with any, I'd be completely done with it in the next couple of days._

 _I'm really liking working on this story, I never played Persona but I liked reading about it so I hope you enjoy this like I enjoy writing it. The whole idea with Shiho's SL was a complete shot in the dark but I'm really liking working on it, I'm glad I worked it out this far._

 _Did you see the stuff about Persona 5 R? It looks great! I hate that it's going to take this long to come out because it seems really interesting. Now I'm not sure how true this is but I've read on Youtube that one of the new characters is apparently Mona's human form. If it's true, awesome! I wondered if I could work the idea in the story somehow..._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 8)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	37. Chapter 37

_Vangran: Huh, weird, it didn't happen? I watched a whole bunch of game play videos to help with this story. It's just that I kinda figured Mishima apologizing to Shiho was a given and that I just missed the video._

 _Now that you mention it, the girl in P5R DOES look like Minako Arisato. I started looking up P4G after finding some fanfiction that included the material and it was interesting so I really want to see what P5R is going to be like._

* * *

As they agreed, the Phantom Thieves headed to the Sakura residence...

''Okay, so we're set?''

''Looks that way. Boss knows you go there every now and then, right Namine?'' Ann asked.

She nodded ''Ever since I've been trying to talk to Futaba. He told me where he hides a spare key to the house.''

''That's good...''

''How will we convince her to let us in though? She's just beginning to respond to you and even Boss is forbidden territory.'' Yusuke reminded.

''We'll just have to talk her into giving us a chance. That's the only way I can see.'' The girl returned.

''Yup, let's try being honest and telling her everything.'' Morgana added.

''If what we saw in the Palace is anything to go by, Namine did impact Futaba's real self as well. I wouldn't be surprised if your presence would be at least a little comforting to her.'' Makoto offered.

''I hope you're right...'' Namine trailed off.

''Futaba doesn't know what we're doing in the Palace, correct? Hence, if we tell her we've come to steal her heart, she'll surely open the door and let us inside.'' The brunette finished.

''Wait, that's it?'' Ann wondered.

''Futaba wants to have a change of heart.'' Makoto stated. ''After all, she contacted us for that reason. That desire should lead her to open the door for us as well.''

''...You're right. Our feelings should get through if we just try and talk to her.'' The blonde nodded.

''All right, I believe in Futaba! C'mon, lets get this done!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

* * *

Yusuke raised an eye as they arrived outside Futaba's room ''It's just like the door in the Palace...''

''Hello, Futaba? You're there, aren't you? Please answer us.'' Makoto requested, knocking the door.

''I doubt she'd answer...'' Morgana frowned.

''Namine, why don't you try?'' Ryuji suggested.

Nodding, the girl looked at the door ''Futaba, please, we need to talk. It has to do with the Palace. Remember what I said the other day? You need to let us help you, we can't get any farther as things stand now. You can go ahead and text us if it makes you feel any better, we've got to do something.''

Her phone buzzed moments later...

Futaba: You should have told me you were going to come here.

''It wasn't like we had any way...'' Morgana muttered.

''Yeah, how exactly were we supposed to do that?'' Ann added.

Futaba: Oh...good point. Moving on, what did that mean, letting you guys in?

''Namine means literally, you need to open the door so we can advance in your Palace.'' Makoto offered. ''We can't change your heart otherwise.''

Futaba: I'm not mentally prepared!

''We'll wait then, but we're this close, we're not backing out now. You have to do your part.'' Namine stated.

Futaba: That's easy for you to say...

''You asked for our help but you also have to make the steps to do it. Because if you don't, nothing will change.''

''Right. The other you within your heart told us to have you open it.'' Makoto added.

''Deep down, you want to open this door, right?'' Ann added.

Futaba: The other me?

''Isshiki-san researched cognitive psience, right? We met your other self in that world.'' Namine explained. ''You know something's wrong, things can't stay like this, that's why you asked for help. We're almost there.''

''Right. We're trying to uphold our promise but you're the one resisting us.'' Makoto put in

Futaba: Give me some time.

''Ten seconds.'' Makoto decided.

''Makoto, hold on, we shouldn't push her so much...'' Namine started.

Futaba: Yeah, that's too short! At least a few minutes, please!

''Fine. But if Boss comes home, we'll kick the door down and enter if we must.''

Makoto knocked the door ''Time's up, Alibaba.''

Futaba: All right, I'll open it now.

''We need to change her cogniton. Better to be completely safe than sorry.'' Makoto stated.

''So she has to be the one to invite us...'' Yusuke trailed off.

''Futaba, please open the door.'' Makoto requested.

It opened after almost a minute...

''All right, let's go in...'' Ryuji started.

* * *

''What is this...?'' The group stared at the small, loaded room. It was mostly dark because of Futaba's blackout curtains and there were some figurines here and there. What really caught their attention were all the books scattered on the ground.

''Medical science, information technology, biology, psychology...these are all technical books.'' Makoto noted.

''She keeps herself cooped up in a room like this all the time...?'' Ann frowned, the place felt like a prison to her.

''Where is Futaba though?'' Yusuke arched an eye.

''Where could she be hiding...?'' Morgana blinked.

They looked around for a bit, before picking up on some odd movement near...

Namine blinked ''Wait, so then...''

''She's in the closet?!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

''She'll shut herself in to the bitter end, huh?'' Yusuke frowned.

''Even if that door's open, we'll get stopped again inside.'' Morgana stated. ''I bet a fence or something formed before the treasure now.''

''Th-this makes no sense! Explain yourselves!'' Futaba's voice called.

''Whoa, she talked...''

''We needed to change your cognition. Unless we do so, we can't steal your heart.'' Makoto stated.

''Right, we got locked out because of the way you see this home now.'' Namine stated.

''I highly doubt she would understand it even if we explained it ot her...'' Yusuke remarked.

Futaba's next words proved that wrong ''So basically, my cognition is being a hindrance, keeping you away from the core of my cognitive world?''

''Huh, she understood it?'' Ann blinked.

''That's...actually a pretty good way to phrase it.'' Namine offered.

''It is but...why do you know about that?'' Makoto inquired only to receive no answer.

''Remember, it's like what Namine was saying. She told us how her mother was researching cognitive psience...it seems to tie to the Metaverse.'' Morgana offered.

''Why'd you call yourself Alibaba and make things more complicated?'' Ryuji asked. ''If you wanted help, you could've just asked for it.''

''...She was asking for help the only way she felt she could.'' Namine guessed when the girl remained silent. ''You said you could see no way out, we're the last resort.''

''...She's right. I was too embarrassed.'' Futaba stated.

''I think I get it. Asking someone for help isn't that easy...'' Ann frowned.

''Futaba, can you tell us more? How do you know about the cognitive world?'' Makoto wondered.

''...Cause I knew about it...It's like what you think, Mom...found about that world. She's been looking into it ever since.''

''Oh...that reminds me. Boss was talking about cognition and stuff, right?'' Ann recalled.

''You think this is related to how he was getting grilled by that one lady?'' Ryuji raised an eye. ''Hey Namine, did you figure out what this cognitive science is about?''

Futaba spoke then ''Cognitive psience with a PSI in front! Less science, more supernatural. That's important.''

''Well, that certainly got her attention...it seems we're on the right track.'' Yusuke stated.

''We still don't know much about it though, Futaba, what was your mother working on?'' Makoto asked, no answer.

''...Does this have to do with what you told me?'' Namine said after a moment. ''The notes you want to find? Because the other you mentioned your mother too. Futaba, I'm sorry, I know this is hard but we need to understand this. It sounds like your mom figured out a lot of what we're doing now as Phantom Thieves.''

''Whoa, really?'' Futaba sounded surprised.

''I think it's working, Namine's actually getting a response...'' Morgana mused.

''I get that this is about what those people said but they're wrong. You didn't kill Isshiki-san, it's sick that they blamed you for it but you shouldn't let them control your life.'' Namine went on. ''You were asking for help and we answered, we're this close, Futaba don't back out now.''

''We saw what your heart is like, but we still can't figure a bunch of stuff out.'' Ann added. ''The stuff we do know is thanks to Namine's visits. The mother that Boss told us about is completely different from your cognition. We want to hear the truth from your mouth.''

''M-my mom...was...The one...who killed her...Nnngh...''

''It's possible that she can't remembered because her heart has become distorted.'' Makoto looked down.

''I'm so sorry, Futaba-chan. I...um, a lot's happened...so I'm sorry.'' Ann exhaled.

''...We're not giving up, you know.'' Namine stated. ''You deserve a lot better than this and it's high time someone helped you.''

Then, to their surprise, Futaba came out.

''T-there! Now steal it!''

''...What's gotten into you all of a sudden?'' Ryuji started.

''C-c'mon, hurry it up!'' She cried out, her eyes still shut tight.

''We did come to steal your heart but it's not really done right at this moment...'' Makoto informed. ''...all you really had to do was open that closet door. I'm sorry we made you jump to conclusions. You don't have to be like that...''

Futaba seemed dumbfounded for a moment ''I-I see...''

Then...

''She went back in!'' Morgana exclaimed as the closet door closed again.

''W-what's the meaning of this?! Did you guys trick me?''

''There's this door we found in the Metaverse, it locked us out.'' Namine explained. ''It's basically representing this room, so since it was always locked to everyone, we couldn't open it. You had to be the one to let us in. So you were right about the hindrance part, this was the way to get rid of it.''

''O-oh...so it IS just like you were saying...''

''She's aware of the cognitive world, but it seems she doesn't understand how a change of heart occurs.'' Yusuke frowned.

''At least Makoto was right, having Namine here seems to at least help her feel better.'' Morgana noted.

''Um, Futaba, how much do you know about the cognitive world?'' Makoto asked.

''I know that there's a another world based on cognition. But I don't know how to get there. You guys can got there, right? It's like she told me...you saw my heart...''

''Yes, that's right.'' Makoto affirmed.

''How do you do it?''

''We use a smartphone app.'' Ann answered.

''An app?''

''Yes, by entering the required information, we can go to the cognitive world.''

''It's why we were askin' all that stuff, y'know? We need the person's name, the Palace's location and distortion.'' Ryuji offered.

''Oh...''

''Futaba, you don't hapeen to have this app, do you?'' Makoto wondered.

''...I don't.''

''Thank goodness...OK then.'' The girl was relieved.

''Can you take me with you too?''

''It's too dangerous. We have means to defend ourselves there.'' Namine paused. ''...Actually, can a person even go in their own palace?''

''...Good question.'' Yusuke remarked, having never considered that too.

Futaba spoke before they could think on this further ''I'll leave it to you then.''

''Good and you better not forget about our promise, all right?'' Ryuji stopped. ''Oh yeah!'' He slipped the calling card in the closet.

''Hm? A calling card?''

''It's the one you prepared. Read it.'' The boy returned.

''...I can't read it. It's too dark.''

''You could just come out.'' He pointed out.

''...It's embarrassing.''

Ryuji blinked ''What?''

''I'll make sure she reads it, so you guys go on ahead.'' Morgana said.

''Futaba, make sure you read it, OK?'' Makoto requested

''...OK.''

As Namine made to follow the others, she heard Futaba speak. ''...H-hey...Namine, right?...Are you still there?'' The girl hummed in return. ''...Did you really mean that stuff you said?''

''Yeah, I did and nothing's changing my mind. We're going to help you okay? Just hang in there.''

''...Right.''

As they quickly found out, the plan worked as the door was open. It lead to the top of the tomb, revealing an open space with hardly a thing in sight besides a box at the far end of the area.

''Shouldn't the treasure be here?'' Skull wondered.

''Mona?'' Fox prompted.

The cat frowned, looking pensive ''I'm not sure...maybe it's in the box?''

Just as the two made to head over, they were surprised by a loud shriek that had everyone looking around in alarm.

''It's that voice again...'' Mona recalled hearing it in back in the lower levels. ''...but where...?'' His eyes widened as the source made itself known.

It was a huge sphynx like monster. Though oddly enough, its face was that of a human woman with dark hair and matching eyes with glasses.

''What is that thing?!''

''Since when do shadows look like that?!'' Panther exclaimed.

''That face looks like...Futaba's mother?'' Queen wondered, remembering the murals.

''Whoa, you're right!'' The blonde caught on. ''What's going on?''

'I believe answers can be found later. Brace yourselves.' Johanna warned as the monster closed in, almost pushing them back with the strong winds it created.

Fox's eyes narrowed ''It's best we prepare, how about buffing ourselves and trying to weaken that thing for a start?''

''Good thinking, let's begin.'' Queen returned and the girls summoned their personas. Carmen and Arsene slowed and weakrned the shadow down with their respective magic while Johanna's support magic powered up the group's defense. While the monster attacked again, Fox and Skull did their best to keep it away from the three while Mona helped heal them. Joker kept the progress going by summoning her recently fused Mithras persona and having it use the Matarukaja gotten from the skill card they found in their last visit.

Skull called on Seiten Taisei, who rammed the monster. But it let out another shriek and summoned a wind blast that pushed them back. Seeing it about to do this again, Joker thought fast and summoned Isis to have her magic defend them. The monster flew up and came to attack again.

Trouble was, this just kept happening. Their best way to hit the monster was magic and guns, and even those didn't work for long as it kept getting out of their range. And it could attack them and get away easily.

The situation was certainly looking bleak. The question remained, what could they do?F

* * *

utaba bit her lip as she glanced at the calling card nearby. So all she could do was wait and hope for the best...

'Do you really think so?'

Her eyes widened and she whirled around in a start to find her shadow staring her down. ''W-who are...?!''

'They're fighting for you now.' The shadow cut her off. 'As promised, didn't that girl make it clear that she wanted to help you? Well, what're you going to do?'

''I...well, I...'' Futaba trailed off. What _could_ she do? There wasn't anyway someone like her could help...right?

'...Very well, I'll finish them.'

Futaba's eyes widened as the shadow began to fade ''Wait...!''

What did this all mean? From her knowledge of the Cognitive World, Futaba had a sinking suspicion that this was the other self the Phantom Thieves told her about. How could she even see her here?

No, Futaba shook her head, that didn't matter now. Was the shadow planning to kill the Phantom Thieves? She didn't want that to happen! They were going through all this for her, even after she threatened them...she'd thought they were evil at first but they really were good people.

 _''You asked for our help but you also have to make the steps to do it. Because if you don't, nothing will change.''_

Futaba's eyes narrowed a little as she recalled the words. Right, she really did want their help, that was how all this started. It was just as they said, deep down, she knew she needed to change but she was afraid. But maybe that could change too...the problem was that she needed to take the steps to help make it happen.

Her phone flashed then, displaying an odd sight. Futaba blinked twice ''Wait, that's like...''

It was just the nav app they had told her about and it was on her phone! But how?

Futaba frowned as she thought back and began to enter the key words ''Wait...the name, the place and the distortion...''

In moments, she felt the air change around her and before she quite knew it, she was in the Palace.

Futaba looked around in awe, so this was the Cognitive World? And her inner world was a tomb? After thinking it over, the girl wasn't too surprised. It fit far too well...

The shadow appeared again once she reached a mural. 'So you've come. It's time you see the truth.'

''The truth...?''

'You know the answer deep in your heart. What really happened to your mother?''

Futaba internally cringed ''I...the truth...I'm the one who...''

The shadow exhaled '...Go and see for yourself. Perhaps you may find the answers.'

* * *

''The hell? We ain't doin' shit to it!'' Skull grunted. No matter what they did, the Sphynx kept coming for them again and again. How could they stop it?!

''Huh? Futaba?!'' Everyone turned at Queen's voice, staring in surpise at the new arrival. ''You came into your cognitive world?!''

''The person themselves coming into their own Palaces...? If that happens...'' Mona started.

''That's...'' Futaba froze when ethereal people began materializing before her.

'You killed her!'

'Why don't you say something?!'

Ethereal people began materializing before her.

''No...'' The girl tried to say.

'It's your fault!'

''It's my fault...'' Futaba fell to knees and Queen went to check on her. ''...it's my fault that my Mom...''

''That's right! You killed me!'' The beast cried.

''Wait, that's why the thing looks like that? It's her mom?!'' Panther wondered.

''Futaba's desires and guilt must've distorted her cognition of her.'' Mona reasoned. ''The wish that her mother was alive again is mixed too, along with those eerie jeers.''

''You're nothing but a demon that stood in my way! I wish you had never been born! That way I could have annoucned my results without having to waste my time on you! I poured my heart and soul into that research, it would've been the discovery of the century!'' The Sphynx snarled.

''What does that mean...? The cognitive psience?'' Mona wondered.

The beast growled ''You're going to die! There's no meaning to your life! No one needs you!''

''So because she thinks she killed her other...and because she thinks she deserves to die...'' Queen started. ''...Futaba gave birth to a Palace where her mother wants her dead...?''

''Nobody cares about me...'' Futaba started, remembering the suicide note.

''That's not true.'' Joker cut her off as she walked over. ''Futaba, you've got to listen, this isn't right. Would the mother you look back on so kindly, the one you and Boss care so much for, the one you both told me about be like this? This is your own guilt talking, guilt you never should have had in the first place. Those people were wrong. That thing is not your mother. What do you mean nobody cares? There's no way that's true! We do. Boss and your mother definitely do as well! He still wants to look out for you, he just doesn't know how to help.''

''B-but...!''

''Yeah, she never abused did she?!'' Queen demanded. ''We know she raised you with the best of her ability.''

''Isn't this a false memory that's been implanted upon you?'' Fox reminded.

''A false memory...?'' She echoed.

''He's right, Futaba, you made it pretty clear that there's stuff you can't remember.'' Mona pointed out. ''That's the truth.''

''The truth...'' Futaba cringed as she began to remember. It was just like the shadow mentioned. Could it be...? Was she forgetting something after all?

'You made our mother destroy all her research, Futaba-chan...She had worked so hard on it as well...She lost her mind, all beecause of you...''

''Mom...I-I...'' Futaba stiffened at the sight of her shadow appearing before her eyes.

''It's her shadow!'' Mona exclaimed.

'Sakura Futaba, it's time that you remember! You're the reason she committed sucide. You were just getting in the way of her research. Why did you think it was suicide?'

''..Because of the note.''

'Exactly. The men in black suits read her suicide note you and what was written on it?'

''All of her complaints about me...''

'Yes, the shock and the pain led you to avert your eyes. But they kept reading it aloud in front of your relatives. Think hard, was the note real? Would the mother you loved so much write that? Did she ever say such horrible things to you?'

''No...'' Futaba spoke before she knew it, but she also realized it was the answer. ''...She scolded me when I had tantrums but she cared for me!''

'And the suicide note?'

''A total lie!''

'You were used. They forged her suicide note and laid the blame of her death upon you! They trampled all over your young heart! Get mad! Don't forgive those rotten adults!'

''It's because I couldn't face myself...or mom's death...even then why did they have to yell at me like that?!'' She stood.

''Futaba-chan?!'' Panther stepped closer.

She cringed, holding the side of her head.

'What denies you is an illusion. A curse put upon you by the heartless. You knew from the very beginning and yet you cowered in fear...'

''That's right, I knew but I...''

''It's all your fault...! This time, you'll be the one to die!'' The monster cried.

'Will you die as you were told? Who will you obey? Cursed words spat out by a seething illusion? Or the truth within your own soul?'

''I won't let those distorted lies deceive me anymore...And I won't be led astray by others' voices either...I'm going to trust my own eyes and my own heart to distuinguish the truth from the lies. I'm going to take the first step forward to getting my life back!'' Futaba glared at the monster. ''There's no way you're my mom! You're just a fake created by those horrid adults! I'll...I'll never forgive them!''

Her shadow appeared behind her and in a flash, it transformed into a green and black UFO, which shed some light on her.

''Huh? What?'' Before she knew it, Futaba was picked up by the metallic tentacles from the UFO.

''Wait, does that mean...?'' Fox started.

''Yeah! The shadow was actually Futaba's persona...I never thought this was possible...'' Mona trailed off.

'Contract...I am thou, thou art I...The forbidden wisdom has been revealed. No mysteries...no illusions shall deveice you any longer.'

''Futaba?!'' Queen called.

She wasn't quite sure what was going on but she felt like she really found the way ''I'm OK! Please help me! That's gotta go!''

Skull smirked ''You got it!''

''Okay, let's do this!'' Joker called.

''Right!''

* * *

The Sphynx flew up, leaving Panther scowled ''It's out of our range again...''

Futaba smirked ''That's not a problem!''

In seconds, a ballista appeared near the group, who then heard her explain ''This is my world so making this is a cinch! Use that to shoot it down and let 'em have it!''

''Sounds good.'' Panther returned. ''Joker, I want to handle this.''

The girl nodded back ''Then we'll try giving you the best chance to shoot. How about we try making it come closer with magic?''

''Let's give it a shot.'' Skull agreed. ''Seiten Taisei, Zionga!''

The Sphynx flew up to dodge the lightning, only to be struck by Goemon's ice magic. It growled and tried to attack with another blast of wind, only to be forced to stop and fly away to avoid Arsene's Mistral Soul.

Smirking, Mona had Zorro cast wind magic that forced the Sphynx to dive lower. It tried to swipe at him with its paws but the feline was too fast for that to work and thus easily able to get away. Queen seized the chance to shoot at it, from one side before summoning Johanna and using Flash Bomb.

In all its distraction, the Sphynx was almost blinded due to receiving the worst of it, leaving it to shriek as it was momentarily blinded.

Queen knew that this was their chance ''Panther!''

The red clad thief nodded back, aiming the ballista carefully before firing the missile. It hit the mark and the Sphynx almost crashed down, just barely getting to cling to the side of the pyramid. Panther struck its face with her whip before having Carmen blast the monster with Maragion. Fox and Mona slashed from left and right with their blades, leaving the monster to growl and try to attack them. Skull shot at its paws to distract it while Joker cut one of its legs and called out Arsene to blast with Midnight Salvo.

Futaba grinned to herself, not only were they strong, the Phantom Thieves made a pretty good team from the looks of it. They could definitely win this!

As her friends attacked again and the Sphynx's retaliating strike forced them away, Queen charged and summoned her persona ''Let's see how you like this...'' Johanna glowed, bathing her in a similar aura before the girl raised an arm and the enemy was blasted with a pillar of energy that erupted from underneath it. Queen rode on Johanna, tackling the monster's face with great speed. She spun around then, creating a sphere of power which Queen grabbed and lobbed at the shadow. While it seemed small at first, the sphere expanded as it came close, creating a big explosion that almost covered the Sphynx. ''Zero Dissolver!''

''Way to go, Queen!'' Panther exclaimed.

The Sphynx, which would have crashed down hard had it not been able to regain its balance barely in time, flew up and let out a terrible cry that caused waves of power. Those who were able to move in time dodged it but Queen, Panther and Skull couldn't and they fell to their knees, expressions of dread settling on their faces.

''We...we can't keep going...'' Queen managed.

''It's still fighting even after all this...what's the point?'' Skull wondered.

''What're you talking about?'' Fox demanded.

Mona's eyes narrowed ''It's because of that attack. This thing's made out of cognition so it might be even better at manipulating thoughts than most of our enemies, it'd be really effective here. That monster's just trying to make them think this is all hopeless.''

''In that case...'' Joker gave them some of the medicine they brought and luckily it seemed to do the trick.

Panther blinked ''What just...?''

''Whatever we do, we have to make sure we can stay away from that scream.'' Mona informed, both started at the Sphynx' shriek making them turn to see it flying up high.

''I can't even see it anymore...'' Skull grimaced.

''Futaba?'' Queen looked at the UFO.

''I can sense it. I think it's bracing for a big attack, you guys have to get ready!''

''Then let's take some time to heal and defend ourselves.'' Mona suggested and they all nodded. Thus, he and Joker worked to heal everyone while Queen buffed up their defense.

And not a moment too soon, for Futaba called out a warning soon and just in time as the Sphynx dove at the group, gaining a lot of momentum through the dive for more power. It was only their earlier preparations that helped them endure it but even then, the force of the strike made everyone hit the ground hard.

They pushed themselves to keep going, knowing this was far from over, leaving the Sphynx cursing in anger. Panther was able to summon Carmen and start healing herself, Mona and Joker, who had been the closest. This worked out well in that it helped their leader summon Principality to assist with its own healing magic. Noting how Mona appeared dizzy, Panther hurried and gave him an Alert Capsule.

Skull swallowed up medicine after giving Queen a bottle of the stuff, which was when he noticed a problem. ''Guys, the ballista's totaled!''

''Oh, great...'' Mona grimaced, seeing the Sphynx flying up again.

''It's okay!'' In seconds, Futaba created another ballista. ''I can help with this too.''

Suddenly, the thieves felt themselves getting stronger. Skull grinned ''Nice going, Futaba! Okay, let's try Swift Strike!''

At that, he called Seiten Taisei again, leaving the enemy forced to fly back in an attempt to avoid the speeding persona. It only worked a little, with the Sphynx getting weaker and worn down due to the battle. Seiten Taisei fired a blast of lightning but the Sphynx flew lower to avoid it and attack again. Those who were in its paws' way quickly got out of there and Fox had Goemon stop it from going any further by raising a large wall of ice that made it back away in surprise. Just as it growled and tried to attack again, Goemon snapped his fingers causing the wall of ice to transform into icy spears that rained down on the monster.

''Die!'' It shrieked again, though since they were prepared, they were quickly able to deal with the despair causing attack. Getting more and more angry, the Sphynx made to hit them with wing blasts, leaving them having to defend. When it was eventually forced to stop, the thieves struck back, weapons hit and magic flew out before the Sphynx almost crashed again.

Seeing this, Skull decided to try the ballista ''Time to go!''

''No, wait!'' Fox called, thinking this was too rash.

Unfortunately, it turned out that his suspicion was true as the Sphynx managed to regain its balance and began to fly again so the missile only hit one of the wings.

Skull cursed ''What's it gonna take to keep this thing down?!''

''This is just fine!'' Mona ran over and jumped off the ballista before calling on his persona. Together, he and Zorro thrust their swords forwards, conjuring a fast gale that almost made the Sphynx spin out of balance. Zorro then created sharp winds to cause more damage before manipulating his magic to give Mona a boost before proceeding to trap the Sphynx in spiraling winds. Mona held up his sword and struck once he reached the enemy. ''Hurricane Blade!''

''That was just what we need.'' Queen noted with approval as the Sphynx was once again forced to cling and avoid falling.

''Good going, Mona.'' Joker added.

The cat beamed at her ''It was nothing. Come on, let's keep going!''

They needed no further prompting and seized the opportunity to strike back with all they had. The Sphynx was left reeling ''D-damn you...die!'' It tried to pull itself up and attack but it was clearly too weak to do much damage.

''Futaba...!'' It growled. ''...If it wasn't for you...you never should've been born!''

''I don't care what you say!'' The girl retorted. ''I'm going to keep living and no one's going to stop me!''

Joker began to smile, feeling relieved to hear those words ''And don't you forget it.'' She attacked next with Arsene, landing the final blow with their own overdrive, Chaotic Deluge. With a last cry, the Sphynx fell and soon disappeared.

''All right!''

''We did it!''

Panther and Skull cheered, both turning as the UFO let Futaba down. ''Nice job back there!'' The latter added.

''Oh...'' Futaba looked away as if embarrassed. She was currently clad in goggles that obscured part of her face, along with a green and black jumpsuit with matching shoes. ''...w-well, I just did what I had to...''

She happened to meet Joker's gaze then and the older girl smiled. ''You were great. See, you had the strength you were looking for all along.''

Futaba gave a sheepish laugh ''T-thanks...'' She paused. ''...wait, what am I wearing?''

''That's your soul armor. It's the mark of a persona-user.'' Fox informed. ''In a way, you can consider it a symbol of the strength Joker mentioned.''

''Oh...that's what you call the UFO, huh? A persona...'' Futaba somehow got a lot of information about it just as she was onboard and so she knew its name was Necronomicon.

Another figure appeared before them, leaving them surprised. ''What gives?'' Panther wondered.

Mona blinked ''Hey, she looks like...''

''...Mom?'' Futaba said tentatively, recognizing the woman at once.

''Futaba. Thank you for choosing to remember the real me.'' Wakaba returned.

''I'm sorry for being so selfish. Mom...''

''Don't come over here, this isn't where you're supposed to be, is it?''

''But I finally got to see you again!''

''Are you being selfish again?''

''Um, I...I love you Mom...''

''I love you too, Futaba. Now you should get going.'' She faded away.

Silence settled in afterwards, only for Futaba to suddenly start walking on her own. Queen blinked ''Futaba? Where are you going?''

''Home. I know how to use the Nav now.'' She said simply.

''Oh, I see...''

''She left...'' Panther blinked.

''That girl marches to the beat of her own drum, doesn't she?'' Fox cocked his head.

''This, coming from you?'' Mona asked incredulously.

''You took the words outta my mouth.'' Skull shook his head. ''Anyway, guys, what about the treasure?''

''I almost forgot...'' Joker went to open the box. ''...wait, it's empty!''

''What?''

''But this doesn't make sense, shouldn't it be here?'' Fox wondered.

Mona held back a groan as the realization struck ''Why didn't I think of that before? Guys, Futaba herself was the treasure! Which means we need to go, now! Not only was the treasure taken, Futaba came here. This place could fall apart any minute.''

''We've accomplished our mission. If her Palace is crumbling. We should hurry back to reality!'' Queen said and they nodded back, with everyone accessing the Nav to send them back to the base of the Palace. Mona quickly transformed and they were able to escape just in time.

* * *

 _Whew! Done and done!_

 _Welp, that's Futaba's palace wrapped up. I had fun writing this so I hope you enjoyed it. Next chapter kicks off the aftermath of these events and you'll see what else I have in store eventually._

 _For now it's back to the drawing board for little old me. Thanks for reading so far and I hope you all keep it up, till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 8)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 6)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 2)_


	38. Chapter 38

_Vangran: Thanks, as always good to hear from you. Appreciate the clarification, it just seemed like Shiho and Mishima should have talked about their experiences and it fit so well so I just went for it._

* * *

Morgana stood with a groan ''Why are all our exits bad?!''

''It could have been worse...'' Makoto pulled herself up, they had fallen near the Sakura residence once they got around to using the Nav as a shortcut but their landing was far from smooth. The fact that it had started to rain while they were in the Palace wasn't really helping either.

''Hate to see how it could be wo-...'' Ann stopped abruptly, having seen how Yusuke had landed face down with his face very close to her breasts. ''HEY!'' She pushed him off, though she immediately regretted it when he almost hit the wall. ''Sorry...''

''Not again...'' Yusuke groaned.

''What's with all the noise...?'' Sojiro came out, blinking when he saw the group. ''What're you kids doing out here?''

Namine smiled sheepishly ''Hi, Boss...we were just looking to get out of the rain. Not that it worked so well...''

''Clearly...''

''It'd be great if we could have a warm drink. Are you going back to the cafe?'' Ann wanted to know.

''Actually, yeah...'' He started.

''Great, then we'll come with you!''

''I'm not thirsty...'' Yusuke was elbowed by Ryuji, who had realized what the girls were up to.

''Sounds good! I'd just be glad to stay out of the rain.'' He admitted.

''That's fine. I'm not about to send you kids out in this weather anyway.'' Sojiro closed the door, raising an eye when he saw that Namine hadn't moved. ''What's up?''

''Ah, you guys go ahead. There's something I need to talk to Makoto about alone.''

Makoto played along ''Right...we'll catch up soon.''

''Okay, see you there!'' Ann returned.

* * *

Once they were gone, the girls headed with Morgana to find Futaba. The girl had passed out and they couldn't wake her...

Makoto bit her lip as she glanced at the girl who they had just returned to her room ''Is this our fault? Because of what happened in the Palace?''

''It couldn't be.'' Morgana refuted. ''If anything, defeating that monstrous cognition is actually good for her.''

''But then...what should we do?''

Namine paused to think, there had to be something. If Morgana thought the events at the Palace weren't part of this, that was good enough for her. They were missing something here, but what?

That line of thinking gave her an idea and she immediately called one person who she figured might be to able help now...

* * *

''A house call is gonna cost you, you know.'' Takemi stated.

Makoto blinked ''How much?''

''That was a joke.''

Namine looked exasperated while Makoto was puzzled ''Come on, Takemi-sensei...''

Takemi's lips twitched as she held up her hands ''All right, all right...Her pulse, breathing, temperature, and blood pressure are all normal. No ocular abnormalities either. I'm not sure why but its seems this girl is in some kind of stupor. Furthermore, she lacks muscle for her age. I doubt she has much stamina either.''

''So, basically she's just resting?'' Makoto clarified.

''Sure looks that way.'' The doctor returned.

While Namine talked things through with Takemi, Morgana and Makoto began to think...

''I remember what it was like after awakening Johanna...maybe the same is happening to her?'' Makoto wondered.

''Could be.'' Morgana agreed. ''That's not even counting how unusual the circumstances were...''

''Boss needs to know about this.'' The girl said.

''Can we tell him though? If he gets to use this to tie it back to us...'' Morgana said warily.

''He's going to find out sooner or later, Morgana. I find this better, we can control how much he knows. The least questions, the better.''

''True, true...'' The feline conceded. ''...all right then, let's just hope for the best...''

* * *

Sojiro and the others had come quickly once they heard. While naturally concerned, the barista soon wound up throwing everyone for a loop.

''Oh dear...this again.''

''Again?'' Yusuke blinked.

''Yeah, it happens every so often.''

''Say what now?'' Ryuji cocked his head.

''She must've used her energy. It's like she ran out of batteries. I think it happens 'cause she doesn't get enough exercise. She stays like this for a few days whenever it happens.''

''Oh...'' Ann blinked twice.

''What...?'' Ryuji stared at the girl.

''...You're kidding, right?'' Namine had to ask.

Sojiro seemed amused ''That was about the way I felt when I first found out but nope, I'm dead serious. ''I'll make sure she gets plenty of rest. For now, keep an eye on her. I'm gonna close the cafe.''

''Right.'' Namine sighed. 'Of all the the ways for this to turn out...looks like Futaba's full of surprises...'

''It's hard to describe how I feel right now...'' Makoto admitted after a few moments of silence.

Ryuji grunted ''Yeah? Well, I'm feelin' pretty frustrated.''

''At least she'll be OK, we had nothing to worry about.'' Namine offered.

''That is a relief but what do we about Medjed?'' Ann wondered.

''Medjed...'' The voice made everyone look to Futaba.

''She's up!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

But that moment of alertness soon proved to be in fact just that, a moment.

''...Tired. Gonna sleep for a bit.''

''Seriously?!'' Morgana cried.

''Futaba-chan!'' Ann exclaimed. But the girl didn't so much as twitch and it was clear she back to a deep sleep.

''...That was out of the blue...'' Namine trailed off.

''I'll say...How much is she going to sleep?'' Yusuke wondered.

Morgana held back a groan ''Now what do we do?''

''The only thing we can do. I don't see how we can find another skilled hacker...'' Makoto reminded. ''...We have to wait for her to wake up...''

* * *

The next day...

''You know, I can't help but wonder what it would've been like if Futaba could have dealt with Medjed right away. Of course, nothing's that convenient...'' Morgana commented.

Namine hummed in agreement ''I think it'll be fine though, we did change her heart in the end. We just have to wait for her to do her part. I'm just glad it's settled...at least she doesn't have to deal with those voices again.''

''I hear you. Man, that was just wrong...it's hard for me to swallow that her own family helped do this to her. Thank goodness for Boss, at least. Seriously, what kind of family actually inflicts pain like this to one of their own?'' Morgana grumbled. Though he soon felt like kicking himself as an answer quickly came to mind. ''Sorry...''

Namine half-smiled and shook her head ''...It's just the truth, I was thinking about that too. I kept telling myself not to and for a while, it worked then...maybe I've just been forcing myself...All that's been going on has me reflecting...''

''I can see why.'' Morgana figured it made sense. After all, Namine and Futaba were in a similar situation. Their families had treated them terribly and turned on them at the time of need.

''Well, I guess I'm not as okay with things as I'd like to be...all I've done for a good while is just press on and keep moving as best as I could and just avoid thinking about what they did.'' Namine admitted with a sigh. Her grandparents had really helped her during the first few days after the trial, which had really been the worst. For a while, Namine really didn't want to even think on those times. She shuddered to think of what would happen if she had to go back to that town. While she did feel more prepared to face the possibility, she did not want to imagine that scenario at all. There was nothing for her there, it truly felt that way. All they had learned and seen had just told her that avoiding the pain of the past was no good and she needed to deal with it for good.

She was more than glad her grandparents were her guardians now. She knew she had done the right thing and their kind words only reaffirmed that line of thinking but her parents had hurt her in a way she never thought they would have. It was hard to look past that, though Yuri and Itsuki had agreed that it would take time for her to feel better.

''In all fairness, expecting anyone to be okay with what you've been through is just too much.'' Morgana pointed out. ''Not even counting that it's only been this long since those bastards flat out turned on you, they were supposed to be the people you should count on the most. I'd be surprised if you were okay with this, it'd take time. The whole situation just shows what kind of people they are, they're definitely not worth your time.''

''You sound like my grandparents now.''

''That should prove that we're all giving good advice, so you better go on and follow it.'' Morgana put in without missing a beat. ''Naturally, that goes double for our work in the Metaverse.''

''Why did I know you were going to say something like that?'' Namine shook her head, both exasperated and amused. ''And I thought it's already been proven that I trust your word, silly. You haven't steered us wrong.''

''It's idiots like Ryuji are the problem. Life would be much easier if he worked hard like you do. '' Morgana huffed.

''...You guys really need to lay off each other.'' The girl stated. ''The insults are only making the situation worse. You guys are really different in a bunch of ways but that's no reason to keep going at each other's throats. We're all different from each other and I think that's great. We're still friends at the end of the day. Everyone does their part on the team and that's just fine...If anything, you'd both be making life much easier if you try to get along.''

The feline pouted for a moment, when put like that _maybe_ they did take things a little far ''...This has to be a two way thing, you know.''

''Oh, don't worry, I plan to talk to Ryuji too.'' Namine stated.

''Fair enough...'' Morgana trailed off, seeing her stop just as they saw Yoshida.

* * *

Earlier, Yoshida had texted Namine to tell her that Matsuhita had invited him for lunch at a hotel and he asked Namine to come. Matushita didn't seem surprised at all to see the girl, if anything, he was glad to have the girl join them. Once they were settled and after some pleasantries, their talk soon shifted to politics.

''Kuramoto's been in and out of the hospital. I hear he's not going to run in the upcoming election.'' Matsushita stated.

''I see...'' Yoshida appeared thoughtful.

''He plans for his grandson, who is also in our party to take his place.''

''Unfortunately, this is all beyond me now.''

''Yoshida.'' Matsushita paused. ''Oh, don't worry about us so much, young lady. You should go ahead and eat, it's my treat.''

Yoshida raised an eye when the girl didn't respond and noted that she was staring at the TV nearby. There was a little newsfeed about the members of the Diet and it was currently on Shido Masayoshi. All he heard about the man seemed to be good news but...why did Namine look apprehensive?

Namine couldn't help but wonder why she got this odd feeling because of that man. It wasn't because of their run-in at the Wilton either. Something about him rubbed her wrong...and it was bothering her because it felt like she should know the answer...

''Is everything all right?'' Yoshida asked.

Namine blinked and looked back at them, shaking her thoughts off ''Oh, ah yeah! Sorry...''

''No problem. I invited you along because I wanted to ask you something.'' Matsushita admitted. ''...what do you think of the Phantom Thieves? You've heard of them right? They've become quite popular as of late. I'd like to hear your honest opinion. As a young lady, are you for or against them?''

''I'm for them.'' Namine said honestly. ''I have my own reasons, some of which I can't share especially now...but way I see it, they're bringing out unseen evil to help people.''

''You have a very adaptable way of thinking.'' Yoshida smiled. ''Most people who want to get in politics are jealous of them.''

''They are?'' Namine honestly didn't see why they would be.

''You have no idea. What about you, Yoshida?'' Matsushita asked.

''I'm not. They manage to change hearts, I respect their belief in crushing evil and saving the weak.''

''Isn't that similar to what you advocate?''

''I can't deny that. But that's not why I support them...'' Yoshida stated. ''...I believe they're a group of young people. Young people have experienced cruelty and injustice. They bravely face the societal ills that plague our world without thinking of the consequences. Brave...yet, pitiful I suppose.''

''Pitiful, huh? That's certainly a first...So the former Diet member who was disgraced by scandals is siding with them?''

''...Is that what you asked me here to talk about?'' Yoshida demanded.

''No...the party has decided which candidates it will back in the various electoral zones. One of our main candidates will represent this area, according to the party's election strategy. You have no chance of winning.''

Namine frowned a bit but Yoshida merely raised an eye ''...So you're saying that I should give up my campaign to become a Diet member?''

''I won't beat around the bush. Drop out of the election and become my right hand man. It won't be for naught. I'll put in a motion for you to be reinstated as a party member. And I will perform an extensive investigation into your expense misappropriation accusation.''

''Matsushita...'' Yoshida started.

''Think about it. You'll finally clear your name.'' He looked at Namine. ''I'll see you again soon, Ms. Secretary.''

* * *

''He likely has an ulterior motive. If he felt hopeful, he wouldn't ask me to run for the Diet.'' Yoshida mused.

''Hey yeah...That does kind of sound weird considering what he said the other day.'' Namine recalled, thinking of his warning the day she first met the man.

''Exactly...I expect he's trying to take advantage of me. That happens a lot in this world. What would you do at a time like this, Namine-chan?''

The girl was surprised by the question but she answered. ''Well, I wouldn't like it...Knowing you, you wouldn't be satisfied with that, so I'd decline.''

''So you're telling me to take control of my destiny? You're very inspiring.'' Yoshida smiled. ''Thank you for telling me you honest opinion. I won't stop giving speeches. Above all, I wish to continue speaking with you. You have such a fresh outlook on the world.''

''Oh, you think so?'' Namine began to smile. ''Well, I'd like to talk to you too.''

''I'm glad to hear it, the matter is decided then.''

* * *

The girl stopped for a shift at the flower shop. It was when the time nearly ended that a surprise came along.

Namine blinked ''Togo-san?''

Hifumi seemed just as surprised to see her ''Ah, hello Hyakuya-san...so you work here?''

''Yup, every now and then. How can I help you?''

''Well, actually...''

Hifumi was taking a walk back after a meeting at the TV station and she had just thought of buying some flowers for her family. While at first she hadn't been sure which to choose, she was pleasantly surprised to find that Namine was more than able to help make a choice she felt was suitable.

Before both girls quite knew it, the shop was approached by quite a few people who recognized Hifumi and were eager to meet her. The commotion kept getting worse until the flower shop owner had enough and intervened to make sure they gave the girl some much needed space. This also proved to be a plus in a way as some of them had immediately chosen to buy flowers like Hifumi just had.

The girl sighed ''I'm sorry about this...''

''About what? Having you around actually turned out to be pretty good for buisness. See?'' Namine lifted the amount of money she got once the crowd dispersed.

Hifumi's lips twitched in a small smile ''...I suppose the results do speak for themselves.''

''Exactly. So don't feel bad, you're not responsible for what they do.'' Namine assured. ''...You know, I remember Haru-chan mentioned how you were famous but wow, that really made it sink in...''

''Yes, it's all just overrated.'' Hifumi exhaled. ''I'm just trying to help my family.''

''Well, that sounds like a pretty good goal to me. Good luck.'' The girl offered.

''Thank you.''

Namine had a thought ''Say, you play shogi in that church sometimes, right? Would you mind if I join you for a game? I'm curious to see what it's like.''

''Not at all.'' Hifumi returned. ''But I'm not really much of a teacher though, I'm afraid you might be disappointed.''

''Ah, don't say that. It'll be fine, we're just having some fun. No harm done.''

''I suppose that's true...it sounds nice.''

''It's settled then!''

* * *

Shortly before returning to Leblanc, Namine found a text from Chihaya and so she decided to meet the woman as she held another fortune telling session...

''Good evening. This is the first time you came to my stand, yes?'' Chihaya smiled.

''Y-yeah...um, a colleague of mine recommended you. He said you can help fix my problems...is that right?'' The man wondered.

''Of course! Fate is...absolute...'' Chihaya hesitated for a moment, though both missed her troubled look.

''S-so, um, the thing is...'' Her customer started. ''...I'm engaged to be married. Next spring, I'll be tying the knot with a friend I've had since all the way back in preschool.''

''Wow, that's great.'' Namine smiled.

''It definitely is, congratulations!'' Chihaya said brightly. ''So what's worrying you? Is it the date of the ceremony or perhaps the location of your honeymoon?''

''O-oh, um...it's not like that. The problem is...I'm not entirely sure we'll be able to get truth is, the president of one of our major business partners has offered me her daughter's hand...''

''Ah...so this is what it means to be weighed down by societal obligations...'' Chihaya mused.

''Do, um...Do you think it would be bad if I declined that president's offer? Haha...Hahaha...''

''Please, relax! The divine power will bring us your answer!''

''Yes, I've seen everything.'' Chihaya frowned. ''My...it seems you will face financial ruin if you decline...''

The man looked alarmed ''N-no...does this mean breaking off my engagement is the only option...?''

''Um, Hyakuya-san? This may be a good time to demonstrate your powers.'' Chihaya suggested. ''This man is bound by the fetters of societal obligations. How should we move forward?''

Namine decided not to correct her about the powers assumption this time ''He really wants to go forward with the wedding, I think he should go with that and follow his heart.''

''My! While anyone could have come up with that, it's still wonderful!'' Chihaya smiled. ''Incidentally, what would you say to make him choose his childhood friend?''

The girl looked thoughtful and they figured she was deliberating her answer ''Well, I'd imagine they'd both be sad if he broke it off...''

''That's true...'' The fortune teller agreed.

''I know...and to tell you the truth, I worried about someone taking her...I guess anyone would line up to date such an amazing girl.'' The man looked down.

''All the more reason to go for it then,'' Namine offered. ''If you love her, wouldn't it just hurt you both badly to end it?''

''Yes...yes, you're right! I'm not going to do it! The only one who can make her happy is me! I was a fool to hesitate. I...I'm going to marry her! Thank you so much!''

Chihaya looked at her cards, speaking after almost a minute ''It's happened again...''

Chihaya was mystified ''So, you have altered fate once more...his fortune now states he will be quite succesful. I had questioned your powers but this is the third time...I have no choice, I must accept that fate can in fact, be changed. You've proven that to me. And as a sign of thanks for showing me the truth...I'll provide a special fortune service for you from now on!''

''Thanks!'' Namine returned.

''You're welcome. I never thought it was possible to change destiny...are you perhaps a psychic?''

The girl sighed ''This again? I told you I have no powers.''

''That makes sense.'' Chihaya conceded. ''A change in fate is one thing but purposefully altering one's destiny...?'' She stopped at the girl's curious look. ''A-ah, don't mind me! I was just thinking out loud, I suppose I spaced out there. Sorry, let's just wrap this up for today.''

''If you say so...'' Namine wondered what she wasn't saying here. Well, best to give her sometime until she was up to tell. She understood how hard it could be to confide in others and so Chihaya was free to keep her secrets. But if she wanted her help, Namine made her mind up to do what she could to make it happen. It was what she felt was right for any friend.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _Now that I've got this part settled, I'm looking forward to when Futaba's 'training' starts. I always liked that part. I'm not jumping there right away, there's a few ideas I'd like to get out there first._

 _I have to say, I'm having fun with this arc so I hope you're all enjoying it too. For now, I'll be getting back to working on my ideas...I might have actually figured out the Okumura issue but that's still a bit tentative. At least I have a start of a plan for that part._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up. I hope you like my work so far, this story turned out to be a lot more fun to work on than I expected. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 8)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 3)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 3)_


	39. Chapter 39

Even with the Phantom Thieves' most recent success, the threat of Medjed remained. People all over Japan were on tenderhooks waiting to see what would happen and it seemed that no one could deal with the terrorist group.

With the situation as it were, the Phantom Thieves were left to wait for Futaba to wake up and hopefully deal with the threat of Medjed as she promised earlier. Sojiro's behavior around the matter proved to be reassuring as it showed how this was completely usual for his daughter.

Hearing about the opening of an aquarium inspired Ann to ask some of her friends to visit the place along with her. Makoto and Ryuji were unfortunately busy but Namine, Morgana, Shiho and Yusuke were all free to take her up on the suggestion.

''Well, this certainly is a fascinating place.'' The artist mused as he looked around.

''I thought you might be interested.'' Ann said knowingly.

''Quite, I find it fitting for such a place to be in an artistic area such as Kichijoji. This is already a learning experience. To think I hardly paid attention to this neighborhood before, I truly was ignorant.''

''Is it really that artistic?'' Namine blinked.

''Well...the places were passed on the way were pretty unique. He might be on to something.'' Morgana offered.

''I'm not seeing it.'' Ann admitted. ''But to each their own, come on, let's check the place out.''

* * *

Shiho glanced at Yusuke as the teen walked slightly behind them, focused on his sketchbook ''Well, he's definitely inspired...''

''You already have an idea?'' Morgana wanted to know.

''Naturally. It would be remiss of me not to seize the opportunity and try out my new painting.''

''I don't see what's helping with with his art now.'' Ann admitted.

Truth be told, Namine couldn't either ''Well, to each their own, right? At least this is turning out positively.''

''True, true, after those disastrous attempts from before, this looks like progress.''

''Be glad you haven't seen what happened in the church, Lady Ann.'' Morgana said dryly. Though he agreed with the blonde model, it seemed that not counting the Desire painting all of Yusuke's attempts at finding inspiration were less than fruitful.

''So what're you going to do about the offer, Yusuke?'' Namine wanted to know.

''I haven't decided yet. I might have jumped at the offer at one point but now...it feels almost too good to be true.''

Shiho looked confused ''Offer?''

This lead to Yusuke explaining the situation to those who weren't in the now, admitting that he was still on the fence about taking Kawanabe up on the suggestion.

''Well, after hearing about Madarame I can see why you'd be worried,'' Shiho started.

Ann nodded, crossing her arms ''Did you find any info about this guy?''

''What I did find was complementary but that's not so reassuring, either.'' Yusuke stated.

''I think I see why. Madarame had some stellar reputation and look at the skeletons in his closet.'' Namine mused.

''Exactly.'' He returned. ''Perhaps I'm being paranoid but that's just how I feel. I'm tempted to accept the offer but it's also complicated.''

''You could just ask to meet up with him, right?'' Shiho suggested. ''That man never said anything about you having to accept right away. Just try to hash out the details then.''

Yusuke blinked ''Ah, you do have a point, Suzui-san...that may certainly work.''

''You don't have to worry so much either, maybe he really does just want to help.'' Namine offered. ''The way I see it, not being able to trust others at all hurts a lot more than finding that your trust was misplaced.''

Morgana's eyes widened, he had never looked at it that way before ''When you put it like that...''

Ann nodded ''Yeah, always being worried about people you trust betraying you would suck.''

''That's true.'' Yusuke agreed as well. ''Then the best way here would be to implement Suzui-san's suggestion.''

''I think it'll be okay, the more you know about the guy and this group of his the better you'll feel about the whole thing.'' Ann offered helpfully, the others nodded to this.

''Yes, thank you all.'' Yusuke returned.

''We are friends, Kitagawa-kun, of course we'd help.'' Shiho reminded.

''Yeah, no one can do everything by themselves. We've got your back.'' Namine added and Ann nodded.

He gave a grateful smile ''I feel the same...'' He began walking. ''...Now since that's settled, I believe I heard something about a dolphin show earlier. Shall we go take a look?''

* * *

Later, Namine received a text from Ohya, who was actually in the station at Yongen-jaya. The text was vague but she seemed to need the girl's help with something. Seeing no problem with it, Namine headed out to meet her...

''You must be pretty busy, I mean there's all the news about the Phantom Thieves and now this.'' Namine stated.

''You're jumping to conclusions there, kid. Who said this wasn't about the Phantom Thieves?'' Ohya returned.

''You basically implied that you're working on something else before.'' The girl pointed out. ''Besides, if this was just about our usual deal, you would be direct about it.''

Ohya kicked herself for forgetting how sharp her source was ''...Okay, fair enough...'' She glanced at the clock mounted on the wall nearby and frowned. ''...This is getting annoying!'' She suddenly froze.

Namine blinked ''Ohya-san?''

''Hide!''

But before the teen could do anything, a tall man with dark hair walked up to them. ''About time I found you, Ohya!'' He scowled. ''What do you think you're doing, making me look all over the place for you?!''

''Ch-chief, what're you doing here?'' She tried to smile but she was obviously nervous so the smile was very fake.

''That's my line! Why isn't your phone on? Are you doing something you don't want me to find out about?''

''N-no, not at all!'' She said hurriedly. ''Ohh, it looks like I just missed it. Must have been distracted. I've been busy covering the Phantom Thieves, so...''

''Yeah, right! I got a complaint from the higher ups the other day. Apparently people have seen you snooping around recently...in places unrelated to the Phantom Thieves.''

Namine frowned a bit, this basically confirmed her earlier train of thought. But what exactly was going on? Ohya wanted whatever this was hidden, but why?

Ohya hid a wince ''T-that's ridiculous! I've been hot on their trail lately. Who told them that...?''

''That doesn't matter! The board's coming down hard on me for this. Now don't make me ask you again, why are you sneaking around behind the company's back?!'' The man demanded.

''I'm honestly not. I just...''

''Excuse me but I don't think she's done anything wrong.'' Namine offered, trying to change the subject, making the reporter look at her in surprise. ''She was just really digging deep into the news, right?''

''Yeah...yeah, I'm almost closing in on something big, it's a rumor I heard when I was working, it's related to someone the thieves may target.'' Ohya offered.

''...For someone who specializes in fabricating news, I expected you to be a better liar. I expect your resignation letter on my desk next week. If it doesn't come, I'll handle matters myself.''

''So what, you decide I'm lying and that's that?'' Ohya demanded angrily.

''Give it a rest already. I'm annoyed enough as is for having to come track you down out here.''

''W-wait, it's the truth! This little kid knows quite a bit about the Phantom Thieves you see. Besides, we were meeting up with someone who could help my investigation go further.''

''...Are you blackmailing that girl into working with you or something?'' He retorted.

''Hey, that's uncalled for!''

''Erm, it's not blackmail. We ran into Ohya-san by chance and she asked us for some info about the Phantom Thieves. Our school was involved with their first big success, sir. She said she might be closing in on something big.''

The man blinked ''Oh, you're a Shujin student then?...Fine. Just make sure you don't miss any deadlines, Ok?''

''Of course...so can we go now?''

''Just one more question. I could've sworn the reason you were sneaking around was so you could follow up on your old partner's case.''

''Huh?!'' Ohya stiffened.

''Well, Ohya?'' He pressed on.

Namine had no idea what this was about but she knew the reporter needed help. Thinking fast, she hid her phone behind her back and rung Ohya's number, making the reporter pick up her phone. ''...Oh! Finally! Where the hell are you?...'' She grimaced. ''...Seriously? Fine, we'll meet you there.'' She looked at the chief. ''The informant missed the train so she's still at the station. We need to go.''

''You lost all credibility when your started sneaking around like this but...all right, I'll back off. But don't go pulling any funny stuff, okay? The board wants me to keep a close eye on you. You've been warned.'' He left.

Ohya sighed. ''Thanks, kid. That guy is one of the execs over at my job. Arrogant bastard, ain't he? He's the kind of guy all the girls at a bar would turn down instantly. Anyway, that was a real surprise. You really came through, talk about thinking on your feet.''

''Well, it's partly out of whatever you and Lala-san were talking about. I sort of just stretched the truth from there.'' Namine admitted.

''Still pretty impressive, anyway, that's it. Let's call it a day, all right?''

* * *

Two days later...

After checking out the Phan-Site, they found a couple of requests. One was asking to change the heart of a person who kept assaulting people and the other was tormenting and sometimes even killing cats. Ryuji was able to find the former's name (Naguri Taizo) as he happened to overhear some talk while looking for a new part time job. With Mishima's help, they were able to figure out the other target's name (Tsuboi Kazuo). Thus with their plans decided, the Phantom Thieves arrived in Mementos.

''So there's still no word about Futaba waking up?'' Skull asked.

''No,'' Mona replied, though he was focused on the road ahead as Joker steered his bus form. ''Boss is acting like it's nothing though so it doesn't seem like a problem.''

''Except for the part where it actually is.'' Panther sighed. ''With our usual luck, we'll probably have to wait until the deadline or something...''

''Come on, we've been through this.'' Queen chided lightly. ''There's no other way, we'll just have to wait for Futaba to fulfill her part of the deal.''

''Doesn't mean I have to like it...'' Waiting for a solution to a problem like Medjed was beginning to get on the red clad thief's nerves.

Both started as Mona let out a sound of surprise, then spotting a treasure demon appearing at the end of the road they were taking. After warning the group, they prepared for battle. The shadow attempted to flee once it saw them but Panther surprised it into stopping with a wall of fire via Carmen. This gave Joker a chance to shoot it down and thus she was easily able to have it become one of her masks.

Before they could get back on track though, they were found by other shadows, two Take Minakata and a Nekomata. Panther tried to whip the Nekomata but it jumped high and clawed at her. This prompted Mona into action and he dashed in to slash the shadow before it could cause more damage. The two others shadows cast Mazionga, forcing their targets to either dodge or defend to the best of their ability.

Skull, who could easily brush the attack aside thanks to his Persona's element, made to shoot one of the shadows a few times, rendering it stunned. He proceeded to bash it on the head then and knocking it down. Similarly, Fox had Goemon blast the latter enemy with ice to make it fall while Makoto stuns the Nekomata with Johanna's Flash Bomb, leaving it to stumble and fall. Thus they were able to finish off the shadows with an All-Out Attack.

* * *

While continuing on their way to the targets, the group soon began to talk about recent events, which first lead the offer for Yusuke.

The mention of the Foundation made Queen remember an article she happened to read a while ago ''Oh, I've heard of that group. So its leader wants you to sponsor you? That's great, Fox.''

''He's still not sure about just taking it up.'' Mona informed, making her pause. ''Let's just say the thing with Madarame left Fox pretty wary.''

''Yes, but I'm looking into setting up a meeting with him. The sooner I can learn more, the sooner my reservations disappear.'' The artist stated.

''Makes sense.'' Skull nodded in understanding. He couldn't help but think of the track team for a moment, knowing for a fact that if it hadn't found the old coach, they probably wouldn't have been comfortable with accepting just help either.

The blond's eyes widened when he heard about the talk Joker and Queen with Akechi recently regarding the detective's work ''Heeh, so Akechi's goin' through all the trouble to repay a debt?''

''I was a little surprised myself, but yes. Apparently, the officer in charge of that investigation really helped Akechi-kun back when he started his detective work.'' Queen explained.

''That's cool,'' he could appreciate that. ''Never took him for the type to care about that stuff.''

''Well, it's not like we really know him. Those TV appearances don't say much about who his personality, people aren't really that simple.'' Panther remarked.

''Yeah, he did seem different a few times...'' Mona mused, thinking on their few sudden encouters. ''...it almost sounds like you're talking...'' The feline paused as the situation reminded him of something. ''...wait, is this about that annoying model again?''

Panther sighed ''I thought I was making a real turn around but Mika's still the same as ever.''

''You're not still stuck working with her, are you?'' Joker asked, a little concerned.

''Nah...'' While she could handle Mika, Panther was privately glad that their shoot at the Sky Tower had been the last so far together. They'd only encountered each other very little. ''...which is perfectly fine, I just want to focus on my job. She just wants to get her cheap shots in, that's her problem. I really can't be bothered at this point.''

''I can understand you wanting to focus on your profession but if there's a problem...'' Fox started.

''Yeah, you know we can help out right?'' Joker finished.

She smiled at the two ''Mmhm, thanks.''

''Guys, we're here, get ready!'' Mona warned seconds later as they approached the entrance to where their first target was.

* * *

Shadow Tsuboi glared at the newcomers hatefully ''I'm guessing you're those thieves people are making such a fuss over. You can't really be that much of a big deal if you're coming just because of a few mangy pests.''

''How can you even say that? What you did to those poor cats is horrible!'' Panther retorted.

He merely scoffed ''I'm making a use of those pests. Who cares about them? There's loads more around anyway, all they're good for is some stress relief.''

''Stress relief?'' Mona's eyes narrowed as he stared in the shadow in disgust. ''Who do you think you are?''

The shadow harrumphed ''Fine, guess I can get started to really de-stress with you...''

Mona glared back ''Not happening, you creep!''

''Yeah, you're not gettin' away with this anymore, we'll make sure of it!'' Skull added.

The shadow glowered back and then turned into a Pisaca, which snarled at the group. It quickly unleashed a Flash Bomb that almost blinded them before jumping to attack Mona, who got to dodge in time.

This in turn, left him vulnerable and Queen proceeded to take advantage of that by ramming him with Johanna. Fox and Joker attacked together next, with the shadow howling in pain as their blades cut him.

''That's it!'' He proceeded to Rampage then, his random strikes getting at anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby. This was put to a stop by Skull's summoning of his Persona and the two entities quickly clashed. It soon became clear that the shadow's anger was the only thing keeping him firm as he was outpaced by Seiten Taisei, who sent him flying with his staff before conjuring a bolt of lightning that made him crash down.

''Carmen!'' The dancer appeared in a flash and forced the shadow back with a burst of flames. Roaring, it proceeded to attack back with curse magic that forced Panther on the offensive. This didn't go on for long as Fox struck then, sending the shadow reeling with his sword.

Joker summoned Mithras, which used blessed magic to strike, the enemy's pained reaction proved this to be a weakness. Panther used the opportunity to whip it while Queen shot at it with her gun and Skull had Seiten Taisei blast it again with lightning.

Mona struck next, slashing the shadow hard with his scimitar ''And stay down!''

In seconds, the shadow turned back to the human form, seeming shaken. ''Ah...wh-what have I...? I was so fed up with all the stress from my studies but now...''

''I hope you acknowledge that what you've done is terrible.'' Queen cut in, feeling satisfied when the shadow nodded. ''Consider this your wake-up call, there are far better means to do what you wanted and like my friends say, we weren't about to let this go on.''

''Y-yeah, I get it...'' Shadow Tsuboi managed. ''...I'll try to do something to fix it.''

''Yeah, you better!'' Mona said firmly.

The shadow disappeared in light, leaving behind a scimitar with a black and red hilt.

''How 'bout you take that one? Looks like a tough sword.'' Skull suggested.

''Eh, I don't know...'' Mona didn't quite like the idea of using something from that shadow now and he didn't see how it could help. However, his earlier talk with Joker about the situation between them made him think it over. He supposed it couldn't be bad either. ''...well, we did find the thing so yeah, why not?''

* * *

After battling more shadows along the way and finding some treasures before coming across a safe area, Mona was able to locate their second target Naguri Taizo. It wasn't long before they stood face to face with his shadow, whose eyes narrowed in a golden glare.

''You're the ones behind that damn card. So those weaklings went to whine to you brats, huh? Pathetic, I suppose I can't expect anything else...I'll make sure those worthless weaklings pay later.''

''Don't you even care about how much pain you caused?'' Mona demanded.

The shadow harrumphed ''Spare me, the strong devour the weak and I'm the proof. All I've done is show them their place.''

''That's quite the big talk coming from a bully.'' Joker stated.

''What was that?!''

''You've heard her. You think so highly of yourself when you really are the equivalent of a bully.'' Fox crossed his arms.

''We're going to be showing you YOUR place!'' Panther added.

Glowering, the angry shadow transformed into a Kin-ki ''Then I'll punish you brats too!''

He blasted the group with a Vajra Bomb before using Marakukaja on himself. Fox got in close to strike his shoulder but the shadow was able to counter at once. He made to attack the artist again, only to be caught off guard when Joker shot at him. Having figured out his buff, Panther used Dekaja to negate it.

Growling in anger, the shadow cast Tarukaja on himself before kicking at her and Fox. Just as he gathered power to use another Vajra Bomb, he was pushed back by Zorro's wind magic and he barely reacted in time to avoid Johanna. But Queen jumped off her Persona and kicked him.

''I'll hurt you brats just like all the others!'' The shadow snapped, going on to use Swift Strike. Queen grunted as she forced to defend herself, seeing him lash out at the others as well.

''Ain't gonna happen, bastard!'' Skull declared, forcing the enemy away with a few well placed shots of his gun but the shadow sent went back on the offensive again.

''I'll make sure you fear me!''

Joker waited until he was closing in on her before summoning Arsene and using Midnight Salvo. The myriad of energy blasts nailed the mark, leaving the shadow reeling.

''You like frightening others, hm? I believe it's time that you experience some fear.'' Fox stated, raising his sword as Goemon appeared behind him. In seconds, the enemy was surrounded by swirling mist and ice. Fox slashed at the air, the ice suddenly rose sharply and hit the shadow then, repeating the process raised more and more blasts of ice and it became evident that the mist somehow restrained the shadow. Putting more force behind his coming attack, Fox slashed again and this time, the ice surged up with blistering force and speed. ''Ethereal Malestrom!''

The shadow fell, and in seconds turned back into a human, signifying the end of the battle.

He could only find his voice moments later ''...I was just...trying to get back at them...people pushed me around and hurt me years ago. Just when I thought it would stop, I ran into more people who'd do the same...I wanted them to know what it felt like...''

''That doesn't make it okay, you turned into just as much of a bully as the people who hurt you.'' Panther pointed out.

''Besides, it isn't as if everyone was out to get you.'' Queen added.

''...I guess not, b-but...what do I do?''

''Make this right, you it to yourself and your victims.''

The shadow bowed his head and soon faded away in light, leaving behind a skill card which Mona picked up. ''Looks like we're done.''

* * *

''So once we do get to deal with Medjed, we can reach another level of Mementos?'' Yusuke wondered, seeing Morgana nod then. ''By the way, I've been meaning to ask, what exactly do you expect to find there? You seem intent on getting to the bottom of Mementos.''

''To be honest, I'm not sure...I just have this very strong feeling that I need to get there. I think that's actually the core of Mementos, there I'll get rid of the distortions and get to be human again...maybe.''

Namine blinked, slightly puzzled at the wording. Maybe? That seemed a little odd for their feline friend, or was she overthinking this?

''Then going by what we've seen so far, getting rid of Medjed would make enough of a splash with the public that we'll gain more rep and that'll open up more of Mementos, right?''' Ann clarified.

''Right, Lady Ann. Mementos is affected by the general public, even the shadows there are. Like when we went during the flu season, remember?''

The blonde nodded back ''Gotta say, I'm wondering how Futaba can deal with Medjed anyway...''

''So am I, from what Boss mentioned, she's absolutely brilliant with computers and I can't shake the feeling that there's still plenty we don't know about her.'' Makoto mused. ''For now, we'll just have to believe that she can do her part of our deal.''

''I hear ya,'' Ryuji put his arms behind his head. ''I so want to see the turnout when that happens, just look at how things were once Kaneshiro turned himself in. We're pretty famous now. Bet it'll be even more awesome this time, people everywhere will see what we're about.''

''I wouldn't be too optimistic.'' Makoto returned, thinking of the negative turnout. Like how there were also people who thought of them as nothing better than common criminals.

Namine's expression made it clear that she was thinking along similar lines. Privately, the girl was hoping that Mishima was right and their fame wouldn't burn them. She still couldn't shake her apprehnsion regarding the issue. ''Anyway, we've done all we can. There's no point worrying about things we can't control, it's no good for anyone. I'll make sure to check on Futaba. Does it really matter what people think of us? We've hardly let that kind of opinion stop our work. Let's just wait for the news. You all do remember it's summer vacation, right? We haven't exactly done much to enjoy ourselves, isn't it about time?''

''Hell, you're right! We're seriously due for some real good fun!'' Ryuji agreed.

''You can say that again, it really doesn't feel like we've had much time at all.'' Ann smiled. ''No time like the present then!''

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope this was good. Sorry, have been rough lately and I'm having some trouble writing thanks to that. I really am trying to get back on track though, at least I got around to sorting a bunch of my plans for this story. Which leads me to my next point, the next chapter has a couple of surprises with my own plot which I actually intended to save till the end of the arc but after thinking it over, I switched things around a bit as I felt they would fit much better here. I've basically gotten the outline sorted but I haven't written a word yet, but hopefully I'll be able to get it done soon._

 _Well, thanks for reading my work and I hope you tell me what you think of it so far. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 6)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 9)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 3)_


	40. Chapter 40

_Defender31415: Thanks. The idea seems interesting, I never actually thought to deal with Okumura's Palace like that and I guess Haru's fiance is kind of shoved to the wayside pretty soon. I'm curious, you've seen this kind of scenario done?_

* * *

Since he was still somewhat unnerved about the situation with Kawanabe, Yusuke had asked Namine to join him as he prayed in Harajuku...

''I find it hard to believe Harajuku is just outside...The silence here is simply otherworldly...'' The artist remarked. ''Ah, I see! That is why religion has historically tended to be a central motif in the art world. Perhaps artists picked up on something out of the norm. We should give an offering, is there anything you want to wish for, Namine?''

''Hm, I'm still thinking...how about you?''

''I did consider praying for success but I'm not quite certain. Perhaps some inspiration...Reliance on a god, hm. It sounds sublime, yet it is in fact quite ordinary, it is sophistry disguised as prayer. That unbalance...This festering thing that exists in the depths of people's hearts...'' He paused. ''...It may not actually be so bad. That reminds me, Namine...Even a one yen offering is said to bring divine favors, yes?''

The burgundy haired girl nodded ''I think that's the idea. There's not that much emphasis on how much you give out. It's more about the sentiment and intent.''

Yusuke hummed thoughtfully ''I assumed as much. I would offer more for increased monetary luck, but even five yen is tough for me at the moment...Ah, well, the gods will surely understand the dire situation of my wallet.''

''Did you try looking for a part time job?''

''Yes, but I haven't had much success.'' He admitted. ''I'm thankful for the food you've been making for me, it certainly made things easier. I suppose I've been so preoccupied with my artistic slump that I haven't really tried much lately.''

''Well I guess I understand and don't worry about the food, it's easy.'' Namine assured. ''We can look into something for you, Ryuji mentioned something about finding a good one before...''

''Thank you, I'll have to see about that. But for now is there anything you want to wish for, Namine?'' Yusuke asked.

The girl thought it over again ''Maybe...something to help me remember.'' At his curious look, she added. ''Ah, right I never told you, huh? See, a couple of years ago I met a friend who was visiting the town with family. It was a little rough but we hung out a whole bunch and it was fun...It's just after I woke up months ago, I'm having a hard time remembering him. I'm really close, I can think back on the times we spent but nothing about his face or name...He did say he wanted to come to the city so I can't help but wonder if he did after all.''

''I see...it's understandable to want such a wish. Perhaps the memory may come back to you after.''

''I hope you're right...''

* * *

A little after they finished praying, the two found a text on their group chat from Makoto. The girl had suggested a visit to the monajayaki place after having heard about it from Shiho. Since Ann and Ryuji were unfortunately busy, that left the two of them to join the girls...

''Now this is a surprise...'' Yusuke cocked his head.

''I'll say...'' Makoto agreed as they watched Shiho flip the monjayaki over as she demonstrated how to make it. ''...so you actually cook it on your own with a spatula?''

''Well, it's different but definitely worth it, Makoto-senpai.'' Shiho offered.

''That was that point of coming here for me so I'll have to try it for myself...and what I have told you about honorifics the other day, Shiho?''

''Oh, right.'' The girl returned with a sheepish smile. ''Sorry, Makoto-chan.''

''Well, it certainly is unique. I've never seen a restaurant where you have to make your own meal...'' Yusuke trailed off.

''Hey, it's part of the fun.'' Namine offered, glancing at the menu on their table.

''Well, I'm glad you're both here. Your descriptions and that demonstration certainly helps. I'd hate to try and learn this only to ruin the food.'' Makoto admitted. ''Since the opportunity is here...excuse me!'' She called. ''I'd like to order the most traditional monja on the menu. And let's see...I'd also like one of each of the most popular items, from number one down...Oh! And a mentai cheese as well, please.''

''Wow...'' Namine started while Yusuke arched an eye and Shiho looked taken aback.

''I suppose that's Makoto all right, she never seems to spare any effort when it comes to learning.'' The artist remarked.

''Y-yeah, she sure doesn't do things by half measures. I guess that's an honor student for you...'' Shiho trailed off.

* * *

Later, when Namine received Chihaya's text, she assumed the woman wanted her for another session but the fortune teller had met her at the station.

Well, she had acted a little strange the other day, perhaps she just wanted to talk...

''Hyakuya-san, Honestly I still believe in the existence of fate.'' Chihaya admitted. ''I mean, the fortunes I see have an extremely high accuracy rate. But...I suppose my divine power isn't completely absolute, huh?''

Namine tilted her head a little ''Those fortunes really are a big deal to you, huh? I mean...you're great at your job but is it really just about that?''

''No...I suppose I just need time to accept the reality. You know, I've wondered in the past whether fate really can be changed...'' She looked down. ''But I always concluded that it was something beyond out control. Almost like the laws of nature...eternal, impossible to defy...And yet there exist people like you who can ignore those laws and impose their will on the world...How can I become one of those people?''

''Um, you're kind of giving me too much credit here...I just want to believe. I do my best to trust in myself and keep going everyday.''

''Trust...does this mean I'm too easily influenced by my own fortune telling?'' Chihaya stood and took a few steps forward before facing Namine again. ''This city keeps finding ways to subvert my expectations. There was nobody like you back in my hometown in the country, Hyakuya-san.''

Namine blinked ''You came from another town too?''

''Too? Do you mean...?''

''Yeah, I came here a few months ago.''

''Then we may be more similar than I thought...'' Chihaya mused. ''...My hometown was a small, traditional town deep in the mountains, populated almost entirely by older people. During the winter, it's practically inaccessible due to all the snow. That alone should tell you volumes. The youth there are forced to be strictly obedient to their elders as well. Not explicitly of course...Oh and there's a small shrine in the center of the village. There, I...'' She shook her head. ''It doesn't matter anymore. I left that place to come to the city. It means nothing to me now!''

''Oh...'' Namine wasn't quite sure what to say. What was with the abrupt pause back there? ''...ah, that's good.''

''After I arrived in Tokyo, I found comfort in this stone. It came from someone who dared to care about me, even though I'm just a monster with strange powers...'' Namine started at this but Chihaya went on before she could speak. ''...That's why I sell Holy Stones. I want to help those who suffer from inescapable fates similar to my own. But...I wonder if they do anything at all. After all, you managed to change the destinies of my clients without one.''

''Okay, hold on a minute, Mifune-san.'' Namine interjected. ''Sorry to interrupt but I think I'm stuck on one part...why would anyone call you a monster?''

''Well, it is true. I have those powers that no one could describe.''

Namine frowned ''That makes you gifted! There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.''

''Ah...thank you.'' She let out, clearly not expecting that. ''You just keep surprising me.''

''My words shouldn't be a surprise. Calling you something like that is horrible.''

''I see...I keep wondering, Is it truly possible to change fate with nothing more than words, attitudes and passion?'' She proceeded to toss the stone away. ''If that's the case, I won't be needing this. I'm going to confront my fate head on with my own strength.''

Namine smiled ''That's great.''

''Yes...though, the chairman would be really mad if he found out.'' Chihaya stiffened at the girl's curious look. ''O-oh, don't mind that! Just forget about it...unless you want to suffer my curse, that is. Anyway, if fate can be chanted. Maybe even mine can be corrected...right? It didn't work for me before but maybe this time...''

''I think, at the end of the day, that depends on you.''

''R-right! I look forward to out continued exchange. At least, until I can manage to change my fate...'' She smiled. ''I'll be sure to put some extra effort into my fortune-telling for you! Thank you for today!''

* * *

The next day...

Once she finished her shift at her part-time job, Namine headed out of the underground mall, making a note of any job offers to tell Yusuke about later. It was as she was as she made her way through that she happened to notice the glowing door that lead to the Velvet Room at a secluded area nearby with Justine standing there.

''Ah, there you are Inmate.''

''Hi, Justine. Did any of you three want to talk or something?'' Namine asked, curious.

''As a matter of fact, yes. Regarding the suggestion from your last visit...'' Justine trailed off meaningfully.

As she expected, Namine caught on right away.

''Oh, that...'' It had been mostly a spur of the moment thing but Namine had, upon learning that the twins practically never left the Velvet Room, suggested to show them around the city. ''...with how Caroline reacted, I kind of assumed that was a done deal...''

''Understandable, but as you well know my sister tends to have quite a short fuse.'' Justine pointed out. Even she would say that Caroline had overreacted with how she told Namine off at the time, snapping how they had their duties here and there was no reason they should go for such an idea. What Namine didn't know was that Caroline had privately admitted that even she felt a little bad about how she reacted at the time after thinking it over. But then she had pleaded with Justine not to tell their charge so she wouldn't. ''I have to admit, I'm curious. If you are still open to the idea, I would like to try such an outing, Inmate. My sister won't see a problem with it either.''

''Well, okay then...'' Namine stopped to think. ''...oh! I think I know a place.''

* * *

''So what is this place exactly, Inmate?'' Caroline looked around as Namine led them into the Planetarium.

''Oh, it's the Planetarium. It has all sorts of information about the stars and planets. There's even this really neat thing they do here and it's just like you're watching a meteor shower.''

''Okay, now you're exaggerating. I'm sure it can't be that good.''

''Just check it out and decide then.'' Namine returned with a smile, leaving the girl to nod.

''Well, aren't they just darlings?'' A woman mused as the three passed her, addressing a man standing next to her. ''Those little girls must be cosplayers, they're so cute!''

''Heh, well if they are, they must be the best cosplayers I've ever seen...'' The man chuckled as they walked away.

Justine arched an eye, noticing how Namine appeared amused ''I assume you have an idea what that means, Inmate.''

''Yup, cosplaying is basically dressing up and pretending to be someone else.'' The girl offered. ''People tend to do it a bunch every now and then, it used to be mostly for fictional characters...'' She looked up a picture of a cosplay on her phone and turned it to show them. ''...here's an example.''

Caroline looked unimpressed ''...Now that's just lame! I can't believe they're comparing us to something like that.''

''Well, you can think of it as coming in a bunch of levels. Some do tend to flop but the others are amazing.''

''That makes sense...but I still don't see the appeal here.''

''Neither do I. Such an activity appears to be a complete waste of time and effort.'' Justine added. ''Have you ever tried this 'cosplay', Inmate?''

''Nope, I never considered it either.'' Namine admitted.

''Honestly, humans come up with some very nonsensical ideas.'' Caroline rolled her eye. ''Anyway, Inmate, let's keep going.''

* * *

Having guided the twins around for a short while, Namine eventually took the two to watch the show...

''That was interesting.'' Justine commented. ''I am aware of humans studying astrology but to think the results are displayed in such a manner...''

''Yeah, that wasn't half bad. I thought that kind of stuff would be boring but it was okay.'' Caroline admitted, earning a small smile from her twin. ''So this is the kind of place that passes for fun for you, Inmate?''

''Mmhm and there's quite a few others. There's all sorts of places around here if you just try to look.''

''For someone in your situation, you're definitely living it up.'' Caroline remarked, at Namine's curious look, she added. ''We've made sure to learn about you to fulfill our duties to the best of our ability. I'm honestly surprised you're taking your life as well as you are now, given your experiences.''

''Well, you're not the first to tell me that...'' Namine started. ''...not sure how to explain though. I've learned that humans can be pretty resilient. Even when life knocks us down, time and again, we can find ways to rise back to our feet provided we keep having hope. Grandma and Grandpa really came through for me. I don't regret the choice I made that night and that's not about to change. You ever hear the saying 'every cloud has a silver lining'? I think it's true. I met a lot of people who made me glad I could hold on like I did. Besides, I hated to let things lie...I thought trying to hold on to hope was the only thing I could do. So I don't know, maybe I'm just that defiant?''

Justine gave a small smile ''You certainly are an intriguing person, Inmate.''

''Maybe a bit of a weirdo too.'' Caroline couldn't help but inject, her tone almost teasing. ''I mean, who would think of what you just pulled off today? Or plenty of the stuff you did, really?''

Namine shrugged, but she was smiling ''Well, I'm happy with my choices so if that makes me weird, sure why not?''

Caroline smirked, clearly amused at the response ''So it looks like the Phantom Thieves are a hot topic. I've been wondering...do you actually think people are encouraged by what they do to face the adversities of life?''

''That's hard to say, the Phantom Thieves fight for people whose voices can't be heard and deal with a corrupt society. I think the bottom line is, they'll give people the choice to do so. Take our school, for example, practically everyone was so convinced Kamoshida was invincible that they didn't do a thing.''

Justine nodded, seeming thoughtful ''So you see it to be more about inspiring people and giving them freedom and hope. The chance to find that strength within themselves.''

''Exactly.'' Namine confirmed. ''When you're backed against the wall with nowhere to turn and it seems like everything's at rock bottom, it can mean the world to have even a single person willing to be there for you. At least, that's how I feel about it. That's why I don't mind helping out how I can, to the best of my ability.''

Caroline blinked ''You're deep, Inmate. I never imagined...''

''I do recall warning you that you underestimate her before, Caroline.'' Justine chipped in.

Rolling her eye, the girl was about to retort but then she was distracted as the lights suddenly turned off. She then noticed Namine pointing up and so looked over, her eyes widening at the sight of the show kicking off. Just looking at this made her think of watching a starry sky...

* * *

Later, the three left the Planetarium and walked down the street with Namine stopping to face the twins ''So, how was today?''

''I believe I speak for both of us when I say we had a good time.'' Justine returned, eliciting a smile from the girl. ''Thank you for the idea, Inmate. This serves as a reminder of how remiss our information of this world has been.''

''Well, I'm glad you liked it. Honestly, I wondered what it was like for you guys in the Metaverse. I can't imagine staying in one room all the time.'' Namine admitted. ''I thought I should do something to repay you for the help you've given me. I'd say the same about Igor but I'm not sure how to go there...''

''While your consideration is appreciated, our Master has indicated that he is more satisfied as long as you continue your rehabilitation.'' Justine offered.

''Besides, we all have our duties in the Velvet Room.'' Caroline added. ''Something that's very important and we can't be expected to drop everything on a whim, least of all because of you, Inmate.''

''I didn't mean it like that.'' Namine assured. ''It's just that, without you three, I wouldn't have been able to learn what I did about the Metaverse and even my own abilities. So I figured it was only appropriate to do something to pay you back.''

Caroline's expression made it clear that she didn't expect that ''Oh...well...you know you're really too nice for your own good.'' She added quickly, turning left while Namine and Justine shared amused looks.

''At any rate, we had best be on our way back...'' Justine started. ''...but before that, Inmate, may I trouble for another such outing if the opportunity arises?''

''Sure thing, Justine, I don't mind at all.'' The girl returned. It was interesting to get to talk to the two in a new setting, somehow it felt like she connected with them more, today was fun for her. ''What about you, Caroline?''

''If I feel like it.'' The girl returned flippantly. ''Anyway, she's right, we should be going. Make sure you don't slack off, Inmate!''

Namine nodded and made to leave too ''Another time then.''

* * *

As she passed the Sakura residence, Namine found Morgana near the house, with the cat soon joining her along the way...

''You'll never believe it, Futaba actually woke up before but then she ate a few snacks and went right back to sleep like nothing happened.'' The feline informed.

That, she certainly hadn't expected ''Wait, really?''

''Yeah and what I really can't understand is that from what the Chief said, this is all standard for her.''

''I never saw that coming...''

''Me neither. Good grief, this waiting's really beginning to get to me...'' Morgana grumbled. He wished he hadn't seen what happened this morning because that was what really made him feel this way.

''Well, it can't be helped...'' Namine trailed off.

He sighed ''I guess...so where are you going?''

''Oh, I thought I'd check in at Takemi-sensei's clinic. I want to see how she's doing. You want to come?''

Morgana saw no reason not to, thinking he could use something to take his mind of the situation. Takemi was used to his presence by now to leave him be as long as he didn't cause trouble, which helped his answer.''Sure, why not?''

It was during that time that they learned of the trouble Takemi was facing in regards to her work, from the rising rumors (which were spreading around the area) to even some of her suppliers holding out on her. Fortunately, Takemi still seemed determined to keep going regardless.

''It's nice to see that people still trust you even with all this.'' Namine remarked.

''I guess...'' The doctor trailed off, appearing pensive.

''What's wrong?''

Takemi sighed ''Nothing, I'm just thinking...the word spread out even about the old medical trial. But now it's making out to be that Miwa-chan died as a result.''

Morgana blinked, that was a little strange. It had just been a few snippets here and there. Takemi had mentioned in passing that the news about the trial was mostly kept quiet, out of a desire to avoid damaging that hospital's reputation. So why now, all of a sudden?

''Well...I have a pretty good guess on who's behind all this.'' Takemi admitted, leaving the two thieves curious.

''You're used to this, aren't you? It's the same person who's behind the bad reputation you told me about, right?'' Namine wondered.

''I had a feeling you'd notice. Yup, Oyamada's up to his old tricks again.''

The girl frowned a bit as she recalled the unpleasant man from his last visit ''It's like he really has it in for you.''

''You can say that again, kid. I don't know why he won't give it a rest.''

Namine had a thought ''Takemi-sensei, didn't you ever go see Miwa-chan again?''

''No...I'm holding out on that...'' The doctor admitted. ''...until I finish the cure. At the end of the day, my goal is Miwa-chan's smile.''

Takemi began to smirk ''...When did I get so sappy?''

Namine smiled ''Come on, I thought we were past your tough side thing by now.''

''Heh, fair enough. Maybe that's why I feel okay about saying it in front of you.''

The two sat down and Takemi continued ''Honestly, Oyamada's really an irritant at this point. If I didn't know any better, I'd say he was jealous.''

''Well, never mind him then. You're doing plenty of good. I don't know what I can do but I'll help you.'' Namine assured.

Takemi gave a small smile ''...The sentiment's appreciated, kid. I'll be holding you to that.''

* * *

A little while after leaving, Namine was contacted by Sojiro, who asked her to pick up some groceries and so the two went to the market.

''I knew something about that guy was fishy.'' Morgana remarked.

''Yeah, his whole attitude wasn't helping either. But there's still a lot we don't know so...'' Namine took out her phone and accessed the Nav app.

The feline's ears twitched ''Oh, so you know his whole name?''

She nodded ''I considered this before so I talked to some of Takemi-sensei's patients.'' The girl entered the name Oyamada Shoichi and decided to have Mementos as the location. ''Mona, it's a hit. He has a shadow in Mementos.''

''Go figure.'' The cat nodded.

''Shadows can't keep lie or anything, right? I figure if there's any way to get the full scope of the situation, this would be it.'' Namine admitted.

''That's probably for the best, the guy might not talk to you in this world after all.'' Morgana remarked thoughtfully. ''So we'll definitely look in on this but let's talk to the others first.''

''Sounds good.''

* * *

As it so happened, the duo were found by Ryuji, who had been on his way to Leblanc but backtracked when he happened to notice them.

Ryuji nodded when Namine explained about their recent find ''I get why you're worried, we should definitely target this guy. He sounds like a sleaze.''

''We will, it just feels like I'd be taking changing someone's heart way too lightly if I jump right to that choice.'' The girl admitted.

''Oh, gotcha.'' Ryuji looked sheepish. He suddenly remembered his own intentions in changing Yamauchi's heart before stopping himself. ''That's okay, so this is more about stopping a bad situation from goin' even worse, right?''

''Right. It's obvious that he's looking to cause trouble so I'd rather not wait until this go on longer.''

''Good enough for me. We should totally help out, that doctor's medicine is really great in the Metaverse and she's an outcast like us. But she's still tryin' to work her way to her goals, I can respect that.'' Ryuji admitted blinked at Morgana's sudden pause.

''What's up?'' He followed the feline's line of sight till their eyes landed on a newly arrived Akechi. It didn't take the detective long to notice them, either. After exchanging greetings, Ryuji spoke up ''So hey, Namine and Makoto told us a little about what happened in the cafe. I kinda figured that you're always deadset on arresting the Phantom Thieves. Never thought you'd drop that for anything.''

Akechi just chuckled ''You're hardly the first to express such a sentiment but there's hardly much to it. I'm merely returning a favor. The Phantom Thieves seemed to be such a popular topic of discussion that I wound up learning about them even before I was asked to take the case. One might say they're practically the number one mystery in the city. I would very much like to uncover the truth about that but it also doesn't mean I can't ensure justice would be served even in a different situation.''

''Well, I think you're on the right track. It's good of you to take the effort. That suspect you mentioned sounds horrible.'' Namine remarked.

Ryuji nodded ''He seems like a total prick, no luck finding him yet?''

''I'm afraid not. I know the city was big but to think someone could disappear like this...'' Akechi shook his head. ''...by the way, there's someone I've been meaning to ask Hyakuya-san.'' Namine gave him a quizzical look. ''It's about something I heard in passing from one of the policeman who was sent to Shujin after Kamoshida's arrest. There was word about an incident involving him and you, but the policeman apparently heard some mixed opinions. Some spoke well of you and the others were the opposite. The prinicpal of the school apparently tried to dismiss it and all he would say was that the incident was caused by a grevious mistake.''

''You've gotta be kiddin' me!'' Ryuji scowled, because he knew exactly what Akechi was referring to and by the looks on their faces, so did his friends. ''How far did that fat bastard go to cover this up?''

''You took the words out of my mouth.'' Morgana looked annoyed. ''That guy really is shameless...''

Namine sighed and looked at the confused detective ''The truth is...''

''Wait, what?'' Akechi appeared angry. ''I've heard of what happened to Suzui Shiho but I didn't think that was the same incident. You saved her life and yet those people still badmouthed you?''

''That's just how it is.'' The girl stated nonchalantly. It seemed that the incident caused a polarizing effect as far as opinions went but she really hadn't cared much at the time given the situation. Generally, she didn't know how far it went. ''I can't control people's opinions of me so let them say what they want. I'm just glad the truth's out in the open and more importantly that Shiho-chan's all right.''

Ryuji had to admit it was gratifying to find someone else upset over this. It was surprising for it be Akechi of all people ''You already know we like the Phantom Thieves. Wanna know another reason why we're glad they struck back then? That's why.''

''That's understandable, Sakamoto-kun.'' He returned. ''I wouldn't have much faith in the school either after something like that...''

The brunet was cut off by a scream that made the four look over to the source.

There were a number of people running from something they couldn't make out. But as it were, the four found themselves having to hurry out of the way lest they get caught up in the chaos.

It was in the midst of that where they discovered the source of the trouble. A man was running around with a knife and gun in hand, looking crazed. One man brave enough to try to stop him was taken down, it was as if the man was a berserker determined to rage on no matter what. Seeing that of course, caused more panic and chaos. This lead to the group of four getting seperated among the crowd.

It wasn't long before Akechi was able to get a good look at the man, which made him stop in his tracks. That soon turned out to be a mistake as the man zeroed in on him and attacked. The detective tried his best to dodge the swinging knife coming at him but he stumbled as the man shot his arm then. In seconds, he pushed through and knocked away anyone in his path. He soon came across Namine and struck her when she managed to get back. This allowed him enough time to grab her and hold her up by her throat. Namine tried to push him back but his grip was too strong, the man threw her against the wall before moving on. He shot at a woman who screamed when he locked eyes with her and knocked out another who froze up when she saw him before tackling a child and throwing him down.

Then, oddly enough, he froze up where he stood and in seconds, he crumbled to the ground.

* * *

Ryuji sat up with a groan, having been thrown down in the rush, which was when Morgana found him.

''Hey, you all right?''

''Yeah, damn, what a mess...you good, Mona?''

The cat nodded ''I think it's over...whatever that was...''

''Let's find out!'' The two began making their way through, soon coming across Akechi. ''Oh, hey you're all-whoa, your arm!''

The detective's attention was on the newly arrived ambulance cars, where the paramedics were seeing to the injured ''I'll be fine...Sakamoto-kun, if you're both here, where's Hyakuya-san?''

Morgana stiffened in alarm while Ryuji swore ''Crap, you've got a point! I lost track of her in all that mess...hang on!'' He and Morgana split up to look, and the latter had better luck. He was soon able to point both boys to their wayward companion, who was under the care of one of the paramedics.

The girl appeared to be asleep. Her head was bandaged and there were a few cuts and bruises visible with the paramedic just wrapping up her ankle.

''Namine!''

The paramedic looked at them ''Oh, you're her friends then? I understand your concerns but please try to quiet down. She has a concussion and panicking would only make the situation worse, I gave her medicine to deal with the pain. She'll be fine after a good long rest.''

Ryuji and Morgana sighed at this, while Akechi appeared relieved, eliciting a bemused look from the man ''Since you're here, I'd appreciate some help. I need to get in touch with the young lady's parents.''

''Oh, ah they're...not exactly in the picture. But her guardian lives nearby, I'll call him.'' Ryuji offered.

''Please do.''

While he prepared to do it, Ryuji was momentarily distracted when he saw Akechi glance towards the attacker, his arm finally having been mended by another paramedic. At the same time, the area was being analyzed by the recently arrived police.

It was what Akechi said then that made Ryuji stop in his tracks.

''...It really is him...''

''What? Akechi, you know the guy?'' Ryuji asked.

The brunet appeared startled, having not noticed him earlier but he decided to answer ''No, I wouldn't say I know him. He's actually the man we mentioned earlier, I mean...the suspect of our investigation.''

''Wait, what?!''

* * *

Primary investigation lead the police to determine that the man had a psychotic breakdown. Their information on the man, whose name was Suwabe Akio, proved that he had, in recent months, taken to keeping a weapon on him. His berserk state lasted for a few minutes before he collapsed and died then and there. Since the information on the origin of psychotic breakdowns was so sparse, no one was sure what to think. Given the situation (since the investigation discovered a number of destroyed documents in his most recent home) the consensus seemed to be that the man might have actually learned something he shouldn't have and so was silenced.

Fortunately, he hadn't been able to kill anyone and all the injured had been well taken care of. This, naturally, applied to Namine and Akechi as well, both of whom were taking time to recuperate like the others.

Akechi thought this all certainly came out of left field. He'd never imagined that the investigation he'd decided to help on would tie to the psychotic breakdowns, which meant it likely had to do with the ongoing incidents over the last two years. This only left him more determined to find the truth, the criminal couldn't be allowed to get away, he wanted to ensure that justice would be served.

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope you liked the chapter. Told you I had a few surprises in store! I just beat Persona 3 portable recently and Theodore's requests where you visit places had me wondering if the idea could be applied to Caroline and Justine so there we have it. The idea just occurred to me when I was writing the final details about the chapter down and the planetarium was the first place that came to mind. As for the deal with Oyamada, I just wanted to try implementing the confidants a little differently somehow. Here it's like a damage control thing, since they were able to get info from shadows before, I figured it would work out but yeah they'll deal with the guy real soon._

 _I've had the idea about the investigation turning out like this since I started implementing it, this will have consequences. For now, all I will say is that Suwabe was involved in the conspiracy but when he got a big head and tried to gain power, the other members decided he had to be go. He tried to hide but failed in the end._

 _Well, ah, that's all I can think of at the moment. So thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up, please leave a review if possible. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 9)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 7)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 9)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 4)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_


	41. Chapter 41

_Vangran: Glad you liked it. And yeah, I guess with Yaldabaoth right there, things couldn't play like they did in the other games. But I really didn't want to leave this out and considering that it turned out to be fun to write, you can expect some more in the future._

 _I've got some ideas to work with for Goro, come on, the game's awesome and all but following its route with him would just be no fun. I didn't really think about things from that angle before but I see your point about Namine not being invincible. Well, it felt like handling things differently wouldn't have added up right._

 _ShadowAshSenpai: Thanks! Well, I'm still a bit on the fence about the pairing. I do have someone in mind but it's still not certain. And that's still down the line anyway. My experience when writing romance is next to nil, unless you count little snippets so I really wanna be careful here._

 _Defender31415: Hey, thanks! About your thoughts..._

 _\- Well, after playing P3, the idea of the twins hanging out with Namine was too interesting not to try._

 _-I'm glad you think the psychotic breakdown was good, I honestly wasn't sure for a bit but that's the kind of thing I imagined it would be like. It's nice to find that people are happy with Namine. I've seen fics where characters become sort of invincible but I'd rather not go there._

 _-The thing about Akechi's involvement wasn't a coincidence. But more revelations about that would be for later._

 _-Glad you liked those scenes, as much as I enjoy watching the canon stuff, adding little twists of my own is also fun. Oh and I don't remember if I mentiond this to you but thanks for telling me about Crimson, that really did help._

 _Rogue: Wow, thanks a lot! I'm really glad to hear that. I'm really liking working on this fic so no problem there. Giving it a 100% here!_

* * *

A few days had passed since the psychotic breakdown incident and things had thankfully returned to a calmer pace.

The rest of the Phantom Thieves were brought up to speed by Ryuji, and they could only speculate as to what it all meant. The overall feeling was one of relief since they knew Namine would be all right and they made a point of checking up on her and help her recovery.

* * *

Sae arched a brow ''You're looking into the recent breakdown too?''

Akechi wasn't too surprised that she didn't know ''Sae-san, I know you thought little of my helping Detective Miura so you likely didn't pay attention to the investigation. The thing is, the victim of the recent breakdown is the man we were trying to find.''

''Wait, what?'' He was right on the money. She really hadn't cared to hear of their work so this was news to her.

''I take it you haven't been able to find much details about Suwabe Akio, at least recently?'' She nodded and the detective went on. ''That's because he's been missing for quite a while now. It was right around the time his wife prepared to sue him for his mistreatment of her so it was assumed he ran away but things just didn't make sense. There was no record of him leaving the city, virtually no record of him anywhere in fact. It was as if he just vanished. The next thing we all know, he was at that street.''

''I see...'' The prosecutor looked pensive. ''...no wonder Miura-san's investigation came to a stand still.'' At Akechi's curious look, she explained. ''From what he's told me, they were able to find where he had been staying, I assume his rampage left some lead. Miura-san seems convinced that he was involved in some shady, undercover deal as most of what they found in that place was ruined. His phone was hardly working and all they could get because of it was a recorded conversation telling Suwabe to meet someone somewhere.''

''Would I be correct in assuming that the other voice was tampered with?'' Akechi noted shrewdly.

Sae nodded ''The number was registered as an unknown and the caller told Suwabe that he had to take responsibility. Something about failing and overstepping his boundaries, apparently. Suwabe clearly knew who it was, I'm beginning to wonder if he intended to come to the police with whatever evidence he had. The caller specifically warned him that no one would be able to help and his time was over. I think that's when the recorder was damaged as none of the rest made any sense. It might be where his breakdown started.''

''I wonder if this could be the person behind the incidents over the last two years. It seems like too much of a coincidence for it all to happen at ocne.'' Akechi crossed his arms.

''Yes, that was about my conclusion too.'' Sae admitted. ''Just what does this all mean?''

* * *

Sojiro turned a little as Leblanc's door opened, blinking when he saw Makoto enter ''Hey there, Nijima-chan, coming to check on Namine again?''

''Hello Boss, yes, I think we were all very worried after that disaster.''

''Can't say I blame you, looks like the guy really was shady to the core. I hear it was decided to distribute his money to the people he hurt a few days ago.'' The barista mused. ''The kid's doing plenty better, we warned her not to push it but she got to help around here well enough and go out for a few hours, so she's definitely plenty better.''

''That's good news.'' Makoto went upstairs and it wasn't long before she heard Morgana whistle.

''Wow...they really pulled out all the stops, huh?''

''Yeah...'' Namine's voice came then. ''...I never did get around to sorting that deal out but I really didn't think they'd do this.''

Makoto knocked the door, which was half-open, so she poked her head in. ''Hello, you two.''

''Hi, Makoto.'' Namine returned.

Morgana blinked, surprised ''Oh hey, when'd you get here?''

The three sat down and the brunette went on ''Boss seems to think you're recovering well.''

''Yup, nothing to worry about.'' Namine smiled. ''It felt lousy at first but with the help I've heard, everything's fine.''

''That's great.'' It wasn't that Makoto didn't trust Sojiro, she just wanted to hear it from the girl hrself. ''What were you talking about by the way? I heard part of your exchange just before I came in.''

''Ah, that?'' Morgana glanced at the empty package that lay on the desk. ''Remember how Namine's grandpa said they'd get her a gift since she did so well in the exams?''

The girl nodded and gave Namine a curious look. She turned slightly and faced her, holding what looked like a brand new laptop. Namine then spoke ''I never did get around to them since things were so busy but this was...well, completely unexpected.''

''Don't worry about that so much, you earned it.'' Makoto truly thought so, after all look at how rocky the last two years were for their leader. She had worked hard and this was just the fruits of that work.

''I guess...it really was a surprise though...''

Their talk shifted to other events and Makoto explained how Ryuji told them about the situation between Takemi and Oyamada. The brunette believed that Namine was on to something about the choosing of their targets, thus spurring her into learning about the man. The people she got to question tried to hide it but they obviously didn't like him.

''Takemi-san's name came up a few times too when I asked at the hospital. The opinion about her seems a little odd.'' Makoto went on. It was a little strange how some talked of her talent and others pretended that it was all a ruse and she was a screw up. Oddly enough, the mood in the hospital seemed to tense then...''The people agree that she was really talented and a few suspect that he had something to do with her getting blacklisted. But with his connections and status, it's all up in the air. Because of that, as much as they don't like him, no one tries to do anything against him.''

Morgana harrumphed ''Just like other people we targeted then. We're definitely doing this, from the looks of that guy, he won't stop until he gets what he wants. Takemi's meds have really helped us out, I think it's only fair to do something in return.''

The girls nodded back, the matter settled for good then.

* * *

A while later, the three went to a walk in Takenoko street. The number of shops and varied selections present was surprising, especially for Makoto.

''...So this is 'fashion' is. I'm feeling some culture shock, to be perfectly honest. Everything is so different...Makeup, manicures, dyed hair...'' The brunette trailed off.

''It just depends on people's tastes.'' Namine offered.

''That's true...I always thought those things were only for delinquents though...''

''I don't see why it would be. Why not try it out? I'm curious too.''

''T-true, I am interested...I think I'd like to study about these things a little more first.'' Makoto paused. ''No, wait, I'll never be able to change if I gave up this easily. I want to do all the things I kept from myself. From now on, I do what I want for my own sake.''

''How about you go ahead and try something out then?'' Morgana suggested.

''Well...'' The student council president hesitated. Sure, she did want to but just looking at those selections made her wonder if she had been too hasty after all.

Namine took them to a shop ''Don't worry, let's just have some fun.''

After looking around, she went to pick up a shockingly green spiky wig and put it on. ''Well?''

Makoto couldn't help the giggle that escaped her at the sight, it looked every bit as ridiculous and awful as the selections they saw outside made her think they would. ''I beliee Ann knows best out of us when it comes to fashion but Namine, that really isn't your color.''

''Oh, I know...'' Namine grinned cheekily. ''...but it works for the shock factor.''

Morgana snickered ''Can't argue with that.''

''It's certainly effective.'' Makoto concurred.

''So who'd put on something like that? It kind of looks like a pincushion.'' Morgana remarked.

''Well, they've got one heck of a variety around here. Let's take a closer look.'' Namine returned.

* * *

It was sometime after that when Namine received a text from Ohya, asking to meet. She figured it had to do with their deal but the surprise was the location. Instead of it being Crossroads like it usually was, the journalist was apparently at the sushi restaurant.

''Okay now this I didn't see coming.'' An amused Ohya remarked when she saw that her source was carrying a cat in her bag. ''Is that usual for you?''

''Well, Morgana tends to get bored if I leave him behind.'' Unsaid was the fact that Namine felt bad about leaving the feline behind upon seeing his interest when Ohya's message mentioned the restaurant. ''The only reason I was allowed to take him in was that I promised to take good care of him.'' At the journalist's raised eye, she added. ''I told you about where I lived, remember?''

''Ohhh, right. Gotcha.'' Ohya returned. Yeah, she could imagine there being trouble if a pet wandered around the cafe unsupervised.

''Did something happen? This already feels different from our other talks.'' Namine remarked.

''Sure did! I got one hell of a bonus yesterday so I was in the mood for some sushi.'' Ohya said brightly. ''I owe you for what you've done so far. I figured time to hit two birds with one stone, and of course if you have any news for me, all the more better!''

''She really is opportunistic, huh?'' Morgana muttered.

''Ah, well...'' Namine trailed off as she began to think.

The two talked as they had lunch, with Namine managing to sneak some sushi pieces for Morgana in every now and then...

''Oh, so the PhanSite works like that too? No wonder word about the Phantom Thieves spread like it did when they started out.'' Ohya nodded when Namine finished explaining about more about the site's features. ''And you say they didn't even plan it that way?''

Namine shook her head ''From what I've heard, the admin more or less started it as a way to thank them and he just expanded from there.''

''Huh, that's impressive. So anything you can tell me about this admin? Like if he'd be willing to share more info for my next article?''

''Ah, I'm not sure...'' Namine trailed off. She really didn't want to drag Mishima into this. Partly because, going by what Ryuji told her, the admin's first meeting with the journalist had gone badly. The girl really couldn't see this working well. ''...I think he'd rather remain undercover. But I can ask, if you have some questions, I can pass it on to him and get back to you.''

''I can work with that.'' The journalist returned. ''Heh, I knew you'd be informative but this is way better than I imagined. I wasn't even sure if this would work seeing how little they moved. People all over are wondering if they're going to do a thing about Medjed too.''

Well, in a way, they had but...the two present thieves exchanged glances, knowing how complicated that situation was.

''Oh well, this is good enough for me.'' The journalist took another piece of sushi. ''Mm...this stuff is as good as I heard but I wonder what it'd be like with some booze.''

''Why don't you try the drinks here? They seem pretty good.'' Namine suggested.

Morgana rolled his eyes, one of the very few times they see the woman sober and she was already looking to drink. At this rate was half convinced she was going to Crossroads later...

* * *

On the way back, the two ran into Haru. While exchanging pleasantries, the girl wanted to know if Namine would be willing to see a movie she had been looking forward to which premiered in the cinema. The burgundy haired girl agreed and thus they were on their way.

Namine blinked as she spotted the movie poster ''...Gotta admit, Haru-chan, I never pictured you as someone who likes horror movies.''

Haru giggled ''You're not the first to say that. Actually, I just happened to see a part of one once and they've appealed to me ever since. I've heard quite the talk about this one, it's supposed to be really good. Do you like horror movies, Nami-chan?''

''Ah, I guess they're all right. I don't even remember the last time I saw one of those so this has me curious, come on.''

* * *

Screams resounded as people began to ran away from the approaching ominous figure. Moments later, chaos broke out...

Namine was momentarily distracted when it felt like her bag was shaking on her lap.

''I-I-I can t-t-totally handle th-this sorta s-s-stuff...!'' Morgana stuttered.

Namine didn't have a problem seeing through the lie. Well, she could see why this movie had garnered attention, the effects were impressive. Hearing the villain's laugh while holding out his weapon with that background music gave her the creeps, and the way he killed that character earlier...the girl suppressed a shiver.

She might have been more scared in another situation but Namine thought the stuff they dealt with in the Metaverse was worse than this. She stroked Morgana's fur as she spoke ''It is pretty creepy, anyway. Don't feel bad.''

* * *

Namine didn't think she would feel the same way Haru did about horror movies. The fact that the girl seemed delighted once they left the movie hall, made her decide the whole thing was plenty worth it.

''That was so fun!'' She beamed. ''What did you think?''

''It was okay. But talk about intense...'' Namine trailed off.

''I know, right? That's one of the best parts.'' Haru returned. ''Sometimes it's a bit too scary to watch those alone, so I'm really glad you came. Thanks so much for today, Nami-chan.''

The girl laughed ''Don't worry about it, glad you had fun.''

* * *

''It's just your imagination, I wasn't scared.'' Morgana stated once they were back in the attic, having been talking about the experience in the cinema for a bit.

Namine didn't buy it for a second ''Whatever makes you sleep at night.'' At the azure glare this elicited, she added. ''It's nothing to be embarrassed, Mona. That stuff was scary, Haru-chan likes the movies and even she's admitted to being scared. No big deal. Look at all that's in the Metaverse.''

''I guess you've got a point...'' The feline hadn't thought of it like that. It did seem a little silly for the movie to get to him that much given what they faced already.

Morgana went down with Namine for dinner. Leblanc was mostly quietly, save for the TV playing on. The only people present were Sojiro and Akechi.

''Oh, there you are.'' Sojiro acknowledged. ''Looks like you have good timing this once, Mr. Detective.''

Akechi half-smiled ''Indeed.'' He had come around to see how the girl was doing after that attack before. It always seemed like bad timing, given that she had either been sleeping or like yesterday, not even here. ''It's good to see you're doing well, Hyakuya-san.''

''Thanks, Akechi-kun, back at you. I'm still kind of sketchy on the details. What happened after that breakdown?'' The girl inquired.

''I was wondering too, did you find out just what happened to that guy?'' Sojiro added.

''It's nothing really concrete, I'm afraid.'' The detective admitted, feeling they deserved to hear the truth. ''We're fairly certain he was involved with some rather shady people to say the least. There's some evidence of his psychotic breakdown to be a revenge of some sort over a failure. They were all very careful though, not even a hint of a detail was mentioned over the message we found. Suwabe was terrified though, it turns out he was staying under a surname but he kept changing places. The last place wasn't too far, there wasn't much the people of that hotel could tell us but they did notice how strange he started to act.''

''Strange how?''

''That's the thing...apparently, just a few days ago, he was very subdued. He would hardly talk or eat, practically lethargic. They assumed he was ill but he flat out told them not to get any doctor.'' Akechi's tone made it clear that he was confused over all this.

Morgana's eyes narrowed a bit, remembering what Yusuke told him a while back about Madarame after they changed his heart. Now the fraud had gotten off lighter than Suwabe but there was no denying the similarities.

As it so happened, Sojiro was thinking along similar lines. What Akechi was saying made him think back to a time two years ago. Wakaba had also started acting very differently all of a sudden. The changes started out slowly with her. But then after the day she told him she thought she was about to die, she started to act like Suwabe.

He had suspected that something was strange about her death but he could never be sure just what.

Did this mean...?

''This is some way for things to end up.'' Namine remarked. ''I guess it actually ties to your other investigation now, huh?''

''Effectively, yes.'' Akechi returned. ''There is suspicion that Suwabe was connected to the origin of the incidents spanning over the last two years, though. As usual with those, it's getting hard to say. But I fully intend to find the truth and bring the one behind it all to justice.''

''Well, that's good to hear...''

The two continued to converse, with Sojiro joining them once he prepared Akechi's earlier requested coffee. The barista having decided to shake his line of thinking off for the time being, nothing was clear yet and there was no point deliberating over it all...

'What are your thoughts, Representative Shido?' The voice distracted the four and served to bring their attention to the TV, which displayed an interview with Diet member Shido. Akechi tensed but his expression remained neutral but he, Namine and Morgana all missed Sojiro's eyes narrowing at the sight of the man. The last remembered him from the day of the celebration at the Wilton.

'It doesn't surprise me that people say out country is lethargic. After all, we've let these phantom thieves run amok. And because they've targeted only prominent figures, our government has been hesitant to act. I apologize for any concern they amay have caused will henceforth search for an apt countermeasure.' Shido answered. 'This is an important undertaking and one I intend to confront with every asset available to me. The selfish criminals enacting this social reform are in fact the ones most deserving of reformation. Answering to the interest of the people as hastily as possible is is my natural duty as a politician.'

Morgana's eyes narrowed a bit, sure, Shido could badmouth them all he wanted but the fact is, they were fighting to do what was right and things would stay that way. If it hadn't been for them, many others would've still been suffering with no one to help.

Namine's brow furrowed, again, she had this really off feeling about this man. But why? Sure, their first impression of him was lousy but this still didn't add up.

'Rampant political scandals, thieves on the loose...As sad as it, this is the state of our nation. We must resolve this problem and I assure the people of this noble country that I will do just that.' Shido went on.

Then the memories of the day of her arrest and its consequences flashed before her eyes, inducing a sharp pain that almost made her cry out. But even as this happened, the memories were getting clearer...

That was when it hit her.

She could feel Arsene stirring with the emotions from this, mainly the shock registering within them. For now, the drunk man's face was clear as day.

It had been him all along, Shido Masayoshi was the one who caused her arrest!

''Now that's something, huh?'' Morgana blinked, seeing something wrong. ''Namine, you okay?''

Hearing the cat's meow (to him), made Sojiro look back at Namine. He was surprised to see the girl holding the side of her head with a pained look. ''Hey whoa, what's wrong?''

But the girl hadn't been listening, the rush of the memories and pain they brought along with the emotions left her overwhelmed and somewhat light headed. Before she quite knew it, the girl swayed on her feet, causing an alarmed Akechi to steady her.

''Namine!''

''Are you all right?''

''I-I think...'' She managed as Akechi helped her sit down.

''I wouldn't say that, you've gone pale.'' The detective stated.

''He's right.'' Sojiro agreed. ''With all that's happened, you might have overdone it today. You want to get Takemi-sensei?''

The girl shook her head ''I think I'm just tired...''

''Fair enough, but if this persists we're checking with her.'' She spared him a grateful look and nodded, leaning back against the seat as Sojiro went to the kitchen.

''Are you sure you're all right?'' Akechi inquired.

''Y-yeah...sorry, it's just been kind of a long day...'' She patted Morgana's head when he looked at her in concern.

''Criminals, huh?''

The two looked at Akechi, who was watching the TV ''Ah, apologies, I was thinking out loud.'' He mused. ''Just that saying is ignorant...''

''That's different from what you said before.'' Namine pointed out.

His lips twitched ''True. I've come to realize that I empathize with them on some level. You've had something to do with that. I've been thinking...if they only target the hearts of criminals, while they aren't innocent, perhaps the Phantom Thieves' goals aren't too different from my own.''

''Well, if it helps, I consider what they do as bringing the unseen evils in society to light.''

''It does, actually. I'm still somewhat unsure of this conclusion but given their actions so far, that seems fitting.'' The detective chuckled suddenly, confusing her. ''Ah, it's just that I feel as though I could tell you anything during our conversations. You're rather easy to talk to. I am sorry though, I didn't mean to bother you now. Would you like me to help you to your room? It's upstairs, correct? Forgive me for being blunt but it doesn't seem like you can make it there now.''

She smiled sheepishly, well she did feel kind of shaky so that was likely true. ''I guess not...oh, and I'd appreciate the help.''

''Think nothing of it, Hyakuya-san. I don't mind at all.''

The girl spoke again they were back in the attic ''So I have to admit, I'm curious, you really enjoy our talks that much?''

Akechi chuckled ''More than you'd think. It's refreshing to have someone like you around. If anything, our chats have been giving me interesting perspective.''

''Oh? Well, glad to help even if I don't know how.'' Namine admitted.

He smiled ''...I think that might be good in its own way.'' The girl looked at him curiously. ''You'd be surprised how many people our age criticize me for not supporting the Phantom Thieves.''

''Well...I'm more on their side but I'm hardly going to force you to see things my way. I don't think you'd be getting much of that here. In general, I think it's fair to say everyone's entitled to their own opinion. You can't please everybody anyway.''

''True, true...'' Akechi concurred. ''...thank you. You should get some rest now.''

''Yeah...guess I'll see you around?''

Nodding, the detective left and Morgana hopped to the bed ''Guess that attack caused more trouble than we thought.''

''Maybe...'' That wasn't really it but Namine really didn't feel up to talking about her recent discovery just yet. Weary as she was, the girl lay down and tried her best to put it out of her mind for the time being, eventually drifting off to sleep.

* * *

The next day, she wound up sleeping in but woke up feeling much better overall. With Sojiro and Morgana's advice, she just wound up taking it easy for the morning before recalling that she agreed to meet up with the others while hanging out with Makoto. Thus, she left to do so after offering reassurances to her guardian and companion.

The brunette had headed over to Big Bang Burger once learning that Ryuji and Yusuke had already been there, which left them all to gather there.

''Hey, Makoto!'' Morgana called, bringing her attention to them. ''Where are the guys?''

Looking thoroughly exasperated, the girl pointed at another table. There were Ryuji and Yusuke and before them were the largest burgers the three had ever seen.

''What's this about?'' The feline asked, dumbfounded.

Makoto sighed ''BBB's Cosmic Challenge, apparently. Ryuji had already set this up when I got here. Those who eat the whole thing earn a special prize.''

''Really? I can't imagine eating something that big.'' Namine admitted.

''That does seem over the top...'' Morgana trailed off.

''You can say that again.'' Makoto huffed. ''I really hope they don't wind up getting sick because of this.''

But as it were, they could only watch as their friends were already in the middle of the challenge. In the end, Ryuji gave up and Yusuke ate all his burger.

Morgana's jaw almost dropped ''You're kidding me...''

The girls looked just as bewildered as Makoto spoke ''I definitely didn't expect that.''

Ann arrived in time to see Ryuji hand Yusuke some money as the boys walked over ''Hey, what's all this?''

''Ryuji proposed that we try their challenge out and he lost our bet.'' Yusuke replied, pocketing the money.

''Oh yeah, I heard something about that...'' The blonde noticed their trays and blinked, the remaining burger tipped her off. ''...wait, so then...?'' She had seen someone take a Cosmic Challenge before and she thought Yusuke meant that the one who ate more would win. To think that the artist actually managed to finish that burger...

''How did you...?''

''That's what I want to know!'' Ryuji grunted. ''You can eat that much and yet you still stay like you are?''

Yusuke's expression made it clear that he didn't see their point ''It would be remiss of me to let such an opportunity slip.''

''That...wasn't what we meant.'' Ann sweatdropped.

''Well, at least it worked out well enough.'' Namine shook her head, bemused.

''Eh, true enough. Come on, we've gotta go.'' Morgana told the group, who nodded back.

* * *

 _And let's stop here._

 _I kept thinking over what would be best to have here given the end of the last chapter and this was the result, I hope it was good. Oh, in case I got anyone confused, the next chapter will start right after this ending and it kicks off in Mementos._

 _I wondered what it'd be like if they had known more about Shido early on so I tried to implement that here. It doesn't mean anything specific soon, because first of all, Namine's kind of rattled, so doesn't know how to handle what she remembered yet. Basically, this spark of recognition will be what makes the rest of the Phantom Thieves decide to find out more about Shido. I know how dangerous his Palace is so that's definitely left off for later. Basically, it's like they'd know he has a Palace but they don't know nearly enough about him to figure out the keywords. It's a bit of a slow process but I have an idea related to this plan, it takes place in the next arc though, but I fully plan to bring it all together. It has to do with my plan for Akechi too so bear with me, please._

 _I know Haru's confidant starts late because of the way it is, but I don't really like the idea of leaving her out for too long. Especially since I mentioned how she and Namine get closer because of their outings around the city. I'm not sure about the name of BBB's challenge but the idea just occured to me when I was planning things and I really wanted to try it out so there we go._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you like the chapter. Please leave a review if possible. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 7)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 6)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 9)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 5)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_


	42. Chapter 42

_Hey, I'm back! Sorry, I just couldn't get any sort of motivation to write for sometime. Things were pretty bad but as life is beginning to shape up into something better, I decided to try and see if I can get back into the spirit of things._

 _First off, for my latest review..._

 _Defender31415: Thanks, glad you like it. Always nice to see my work being appreciated. Honestly, the laptop was a spontaneous idea but I wound up working it in the story anyhow. I can't really give much about plans regarding Akechi because-as you said-spoilers. But you're on the right track, that's all I'm going to say now._

 _...now here we go!_

* * *

The Phantom Thieves headed into Mementos after having gathered sufficient information about Oyamada, indeed confirming that he had a room within the labyrinth. Fighting shadows as usual, the group kept making its way down.

''I still can't believe Fox actually beat Skull in that stupid challenge...'' Mona trailed off.

''Same here. Remember much how much meat he had back at the Wilton? I never thought someone would beat him at eating that stuff.'' Panther added.

''This, coming from the person who ate practically all the cake there?'' Skull shot back.

''It was a great chance! Besides, who are you to talk? I'm not the one who went and got myself sick right after that. Now that was a waste of money!''

''You gotta admit, she's got you beat.'' Mona snickered.

''Like hell! She doesn't get to talk when she did practically the same thing!''

''Oh yeah?'' Panther scowled.

''Yeah!'' He met her glare head-on.

''Children, inside voices, please?'' Queen shot them a sharp look that had them backing off and turning away from each other.

''Well, I don't see a reason behind any surprise. I merely sought to take full advantage of the opportunity.'' Fox stated.

''Why do I get the feeling that Fox would practically be starving if Joker hadn't started making food for him?'' Mona mused.

''That's cuz it's totally true.'' Skull deadpanned. ''Remember when we were looking for a part time job? I kept telling him he's got to make for some priorities but he still focuses so much on art that I doubt it ever got through.''

''I'd like to say you're both exaggerating...but at this point, I'm getting my own doubts.'' Joker admitted, her tone just as exasperated as her friends.

''Honestly Fox, we've been through this. You need to take much better care of yourself.'' Queen chided.

''While I appreciate the concern, I assure you, it's not nearly so bad. I simply want to end my slump as quickly as possible.''

''There's such a thing as overdoing it, you know.'' Mona pointed out.

''Mona's right.'' Joker agreed. ''I don't know much about art beside what I learned from you but I'm pretty sure that's not the kind of thing you should be trying to force. I've actually been wondering for a while...do you even enjoy yourself when you paint lately?''

Fox opened his mouth to respond but hesitated, realizing he wasn't sure what to say. That really came as a bit of a shock, it should be easy to answer...so why couldn't he do it?

Queen spared him a concerned look. She hadn't thought of the situation like that but if he found it this hard to answer...''See? You need to stop and take it easy, if you keep overdoing it, you'll burn out.''

''Yeah, it sounds like you're getting stressed out. Just take a day or two off, it won't hurt.'' Panther offered.

''Just focus on what we're doing now, try to clear your head. You might feel better later.'' Skull added.

''I...suppose you have a point. I will think about this.'' Fox said at last.

''That's all we want, buddy.'' The blond patted his shoulder. ''Say, Queen, did you hear anything from your sis about that breakdown?''

''I did try to ask...'' The brunette admitted. Sae hadn't been sure how much to share at first but conceded upon learning that she was friends with Joker. ''...there wasn't much she could tell me. It's still under investigation but Suwabe covered his tracks really well. They haven't been able to find out just why he disappeared all of a sudden and they have no idea what to make of it either. His last recorded phone calls were encrypted and the only record they could get had the other speaker's voice distorted.''

''So the police has basically nothing to go on.'' Panther concluded.

Mona hummed ''That's what Akechi said before too.''

''Yeah...odds are, it might be up to us if that criminal really is behind this.'' Joker pointed out. She thought he most likely was but since they had such little information, it was hard to be sure of anything.

Everyone started as Mona sensed shadows and warned them accordingly, they were able to maneuver and ambush the enemy, revealing two Pisacas, an Isis and an Anubis.

One of the Pisacas began to rampage while the other launched a number of Dream Needles, one nailing Mona and causing him to sleep. The Anubis cast Makouga just as the Isis shadow finished casting a shield over it.

''In that case...'' Queen fired a pair of bullets at the shadow just before it could get back to casting again, knocking it down. Skull focused on shielding Mona and Joker, who had taken the worst out of the first round of assault while the latter helped the former wake up. Meanwhile, Panther and Fox dealt with the Pisacas.

Fox managed to force them back as they dodged Goemon's ice but Panther immediately followed up with Carmen. The crimson dancer's fire magic struck both shadows and burned them badly, allowing the artist and model to quickly finish them off.

The Isis managed to dodge Queen's oncoming punch while the Anubis cast Mudoon but it merely washed over the girl harmlessly as she hit the shadow in return. Skull ran up to attack then, with Mona trapping both shadows in a vortex of wind magic which allowed Joker and Queen to finish them off.

With the battle done, the Phantom Thieves continued towards their rapidly approaching destination...

* * *

''There it is...'' Panther frowned at the sight of Oyamada's shadow nearby.

''Man, you had him pegged, Mona. He sure looks smug as hell.'' Skull remarked.

Mona's eyes narrowed ''Yeah, he just keeps causing trouble for Takemi at the clinic. All sorts of nasty rumors came about her thanks to him. At this point, her clinic's barely running.''

''Mm, she can hardly get any work done too...she says it's because he pressures her suppliers.'' Joker frowned as she remembered her latest visit to Takemi's. The situation had just been getting more troublesome and it was wearing on the doctor even if she didn't show it. Now it was only a few people in the neighborhood who still retained faith in her. ''He even had people believing that Miwa-chan died...If things keep going like this, she'll have to quit...''

''That bastard, she doesn't deserve that. It's bad enough he blamed her for the mistake he made with that drug. People might die if we don't change his heart.'' Panther scowled.

''Then let's go.'' Queen said and they approached the shadow.

''Hm? You're...Takemi's assistant?'' Shadow Oyamada said when he noticed Joker. ''Honestly, you're just another obstacle in my way to get rid of that bitch. It's like she just doesn't get the hint, no one wants her around, so she should just quit being a doctor. She doesn't deserve to be one!''

Joker could not let that statement go unchallenged ''You're wrong, she's doing a lot good. She's working really hard to turn things around-no matter what you try to pull. There's no reason to keep doing this.''

''Yeah, what the heck's your problem with the doc anyway?'' Skull demanded.

''I said, didn't I? She shouldn't be a doctor. A worthless failure like that would only drag us actual doctors down. That's why I want to get rid of her and I won't stop until it happens. Those fools who actually go to her deserve what's coming to them! I won't let anyone get in my way.''

''You're supposed to be a doctor? This must be some joke-do you not see that you're toying with lives here?'' Fox glared at him.

''That's some tone you're taking with me, brat!'' The shadow sneered. ''As head of the medical office, I'm superior to everyone! I deserve all your respect! You should be begging me to examine you! Be grateful that I have the compassion to fix you trash!''

Mona scoffed ''Doctor of the year, right there!''

''We're going to stop you, here and now.'' Joker stated as everyone braced themselves for battle.

''You dare talk to me, you superior, like that?! Your diagnosis is arrogance with no chance of recovery. I better 'treat' you right away! I'll make sure you won't get in the way of my plans, and I'll blame your death on Takemi messing up again!''

The shadow transformed into a Thoth and Mona and Skull proceeded to attack. The former cast a Garula which the shadow shook off and held up its book to stop Skull's strike before casting Mazio.

Skull managed to brush the attack off without preamble and Mona was fast enough to dodge the bolt of lightning. Just then, it was surrounded by a wave of bluish aura which made Mona frown.

''Watch out, he's gathering power!''

Fox and Queen attacked with their respective Personas, only to be surprised as the enemy brushed their powers off with little trouble, revealing to be strong against the two elements they had used. Panther struck at him with her whip, forcing the shadow to get back and dodge but that left it vulnerable for Joker, who shot a few rounds with revolver, leaving the shadow to yelp in pain and surprise.

It cried out and released a Megido spell, and a number of white tinted spheres of power that hit the entire party, almost knocking a few down.

The shadow cackled ''How do you like that?! That's where you belong-below me!''

''Not happening, Johanna, Flash Bomb!''

The sudden attack left the shadow surprised as the attack almost knocked it down to the ground but it regained its balance and cast Mazio once again. Just as it stopped to concentrate its strength for a more powerful strike, Joker seized the chance to have Arsene use Midnight Salvo, forcing the shadow to hurry about and dodge. When that wound up failing, the girl was able to attack him with Fox, leaving the shadow angrier.

''Damn you, take this!'' He cast one more Megido which once again caused more damage than usual due to his power up. But the shadow was dismayed to see that the party was still keeping up the fight. ''You're still fighting?!''

''Like hell we'd quit now!'' Panther shot at him with her gun, forcing it to dodge. It rolled around again to avoid Queen's oncoming fist. But the girl was undeterred, she summoned Johanna and proceeded to speed off. Mona jumped on behind her and they prepared to strike the enemy again. In seconds, their combined strikes sent the shadow reeling and left an opening for Joker and Skull to attack from opposite sides, throwing the shadow down. Fox proceeded to summon Goemon and wrapped up the fight with a Rising Slash, leaving it to cry out and in a flash of black flames, revert back to the human form.

Skull's brow furrowed as they heard sobbing ''What, crying now? This is just sad.''

''I just...'' Shadow Oyamada started. ''...I don't know why...I'm never good enough. I want to save people's lives. And I want to do something great, and help make medical history. But I'm just a mediocre doctor. I've only gotten promoted because of my university connections.''

''Then you should've worked harder, not just waste time with your petty grudge.'' Queen stated. ''Dr. Takemi is a good person who helped plenty of people, including us. That hard work is why I believe we can rely on her.''

''...I know she is...'' The shadow admitted. ''...She's really creative. Takemi had those great ideas and her techniques were excellent...she had everything I wanted in such a short time...I was so jealous of her. That's why I tried to take credit for her new drug...''

He sighed ''...If only there was a cure for jealousy...'' He looked back at the group. ''...I imagine you couldn't information about Takemi's patient before, right?''

''How...?'' Mona blinked. They HAD actually tried to find anything about Miwa because of the odd rumors around her but nothing came up.

''It's all a big cover up. I thought she would die so I transferred her into the corner for terminally ill patients. Thing is, she and her family didn't believe my diagnosis so they transferred her into a different hospital. But that would just make our hospital look bad. So I made everyone tell the same lie; the patient died after she chose to leave the hospital.''

''That was totally low!'' Panther huffed as the shadow lowered his head with evident guilt.

''...Where is she?'' Joker inquired.

''The hospital near Inokashira park, I've heard they finally settled on that one after several attempts to cure Miwa-chan.'' The shadow admitted. ''None of the doctors seemed able to help but Takemi might be able to make a difference...'' He faded away in light then.

''Jeez, he went so far over something like this...oh, come on, Joker! You've got to tell her!'' Panther exclaimed. The girl nodded back and followed the blonde as she led them out of the area.

* * *

Unfortunately, Takemi hadn't responded to any calls and no one was at the clinic so Namine wound up sending her a text asking to meet as soon as possible.

Left with little else to do in this situation, the girl decided to take a walk and try to relax. In the end, she wound up visiting the church where they had encountered Hifumi. She found that to her luck, the girl was playing shogi just like the last time she had been here.

''Oh hello, Hyakuya-chan.'' The girl greeted. ''I take it this is about our talk the other day?''

''Sure is! You up to try playing with a partner this time?'' Namine returned.

Hifumi gave a small smile ''Let's find out.''

* * *

''My, I suppose having some experience with a game like chess is useful. While you are a beginner, you've made strategic choices in the end.'' Hifumi remarked.

''Really? It was fun. I kind of wound up winging it a little there but I guess I really got into the game.'' Namine half-smiled. ''It was a little like back when he started teaching me...''

That was a bit of a hard subject to her, for she still felt bad. She simply could not remember much of anything about her friend from two years ago. He HAD mentioned that he wanted to this city before so a part of her wondered if she could meet him but could that even happen? Would he remember her then?

Shaking the thought off, the blue eyes girl went on ''You really like the game, huh, Togo-chan?''

''Yes. Very much so...'' Hifumi faltered. ''...That's why I wish to improve. Would it be possible to ask for another match?''

''Sure!'' Namine beamed.

Hifumi couldn't help smiling back. ''Thank you. I enjoyed playing with you.''

''That's great. I'm looking forward to next time.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow._

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity_

 _With the birth of the_ _ **Star**_ _Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a_ _ **new power**_ _..._

* * *

A few days later...

Medjed's deadline had finally arrived and Futaba had yet to wake up. Needless to say, this left the Phantom Thieves in a bind.

''What do we do now?'' Morgana muttered from his perch as he glanced at the kitchen where Namine finished cleaning up. He knew that the girl was just as troubled as he was over the situation and the same likely went for the others. They had thrown their lot in with Futaba but things really didn't seem to be working there at all...

Sojiro turned slightly as Namine came out ''...Hey, kid.''

''Hi, Boss.'' Namine returned. ''What's up? Anything different with Futaba?''

''Nope, same as always. Today's the day Wakaba passed. I do this every year...Here I've got a cup for you too.''

''Futaba reminds me so much of her mother. She's a smart girl. Doesn't just go with the flow either. Wakaba...'' He closed his eyes. ''...Your work and your kid were so fulfilling for you...why'd you have to die so suddenly...?''

Namine made to speak but thought better of it, deciding to let Futaba take care of telling him the truth.

Sojiro exhaled ''You saw me talking to Nijima-chan's sister...and from the sound of it, Futaba's told you a few things. That woman's convinced that Wakaba's research has to do with her investigation and she's willing to pull out all the stops to get it...''

''I...kind of got that impression. There was some chaos about Isshiki-san's research, right? Futaba didn't say much but...what she did mention and the way she acted...'' Namine trailed off.

''Yeah. You don't need to know what it was about, just keep that in mind. Obviously, Wakaba got dragged into that. Now they ruled her death a suicide...but I've got my doubts.''

''Doubts? You mean...'' Namine started.

''...she was killed?'' Morgana blinked.

''Supposedly, there were people who wanted to take her research and use it for their own benefit...'' Sojiro went on. ''Don't get me wrong though. I don't have a lick of evidence. That's why I haven't told Futaba any of this. I don't want to cause her anymore trouble.''

''It sounded like she had suspicions of her own based on what she said in the Palace.'' Morgana remarked, the girl nodded slightly in agreement.

''Still, there was one thing I regret.'' The man admitted.

Namine blinked ''What's that?''

''It ws right before Wakaba died. She told me, ''I think I might die.'' He noted the girl's incredulous look. ''Yeah, that was my first reaction. I brushed it off thinking it was just a joke. But if I had just taken her seriously...''

She couldn't help but remember her own reaction to Chihaya's prediction back when they first met ''You couldn't have known though...I think that reaction's natural.''

''Hah, I wonder...that's another reason I took Futaba in...redemption. She went through such horrible things. Those heartless adults just yelled at the poor girl. Hey...how do you heal emotional scars?''

''That's...hard to say.'' Namine said truthfully. ''I think...the best you can do is be there for the scarred person.''

''I thought I could be...but it's hard not being able to do anything to help her...''

''You are though.'' Namine countered. ''I talked to her before, remember? Your name came up a few times, she's worried...but she's also scared.''

''...She doesn't...'' Sojiro turned as the door opened. ''...Futaba?!''

Namine blinked and followed his line of sight, pausing in surprise when the girl walked in. Morgana's jaw dropped a little as they watched the girl sit nearby.

She drank from the coffee mug she came across ''It's cold.''

''Huh?''

Futaba looked at her guardian with a frown ''You can't sell this!''

''N-never mind that...'' Sojiro was having trouble getting his thoughts in order. ''...How did you get here...?''

''Uh...I walked.'' Futaba blinked, clearly puzzled.

''You're okay?!''

''Is that bad?''

''Th-that's not it!'' The barista said quickly. ''I'm just shocked to see you out of the house...''

''Uh...I'm sorry I worried you.'' She looked away.

''...It's all right.'' He left, but they could tell he was really glad and even choked up about this. He clearly needed a little time to collect himself.

''Hey, glad to see you're feeling better.'' Namine said.

''Thanks...guess I really slept a whole bunch...that was a new one even for me.'' Futaba leaned back. ''By the way, what's the date today?''

''The twenty first.'' Namine replied.

Futaba blinked ''Huh, I feel like I'm forgetting something...''

''You know, Medjed?'' Morgana offered.

''Oh, that's it!'' Futaba exclaimed, standing up. ''Come on, let's go. I'll take care of it.''

* * *

Morgana spoke up again when they were back in the hacker's room ''Hey, Futaba, we don't have much time. Can you really do this?!''

The girl stared at him in shock ''You can talk?!''

''Wha-? Of course I can, took you long enough!''

''H-hey, what's that...?!''

''Okay, okay, let's focus here.'' Namine interjected. ''Morgana's situation is a bit complicated, Futaba. Can we explain later?''

''Sure, okay.'' The girl looked back at her computer. ''Now then...Medjed, how should we cook them...?''

The two were left waiting for the girl to finish her preparations and it quickly turned out that she was completely immersed in her work that they couldn't get a word in. She never even noticed that they wound up cleaning her room while she kept working, either...

After quite a while, Futaba stretched and let out a sigh of relief ''I'm doooone!''

Morgana started ''W-what's up? Something happened?''

''It's finished.''

''Finished? You mean, your secret plan to take Medjed?'' The cat clarified.

''Yup!'' Futaba blinked ''Wait, what happened to my room?''

''We clearned it.'' Namine replied.

''I handled and then someone else handled my room...! I don't understand but this is good.'' Futaba picked up a cushion and lay on it.

Morgana cocked his head ''Futaba...?''

''I think she's asleep.'' Namine noted, eyeing the girl closely.

''Now, of all times?!''

''Why not? She's clearly done a lot, let's go home too, Mona.''

The cat sighed ''Best thing we can do, I guess...''

* * *

The effects of the hacker's work quickly became evident and soon everyone was talking about the take down of Medjed. Futaba had taken over their site and put the Phantom Thieves' mark, leaving the media to conclude that they had taken down the group after all.

''Well, damn...they went on and did it anyway...'' Sojiro remarked, noting how Namine and her friends were pleased at the news. ''...so I guess you're fans of those thieves too?''

''Can you blame us with all that happened?'' Ann returned easily.

''Fair enough. Here's to hoping you're not building a lot of expectations though-they're said to be dangerous.'' The barista reminded.

''Yeah, to messed up bastards like Kamoshida and those guys from Medjed. I say we're all good.'' Ryuji grinned.

''I hope you're right...''

The two looked back as the cafe's door opened and the boy perked up at the sight of the new arrival ''Hey, Futaba!''

Sojiro smiled ''There you are, are you feeling better?''

She nodded ''I wanted to come.''

''That's good...'' He blinked as the girl tensed and almost seemed to hide behind Namine before seeing that she was looking at the door. He suddenly understood his daughter's anxiety. ''...oh. Come to think of it, customers are going to be coming soon. Why don't you kids all go upstairs?''

Ann spared Futaba a worried look but responded ''Sure, that sounds good.''

* * *

Makoto raised an eye as she caught up with the others at the seating arrangement in the attic. For everyone was either at the couch or the chairs while Futaba was on the bed and Namine was sitting at its foot.

Morgana sighed ''For some reason, she's only letting Namine sit near her.''

''You really need to loosen up.'' Ryuji stated but the girl didn't respond, leaving him to sigh.

''Well, let's just leave that be for now...'' Ann trailed off.

''To think a cognitive version of a person would transform into such a horrible monster and attack us...'' Yusuke remarked. ''...that means our enemies aren't limited to shadows.''

''I thought the other people were just victims, like the slaves at the castle or the walking ATMs...'' Ann admitted.

''Even though they seem to be alive, they're only part of the backdrop, the environment.'' Makoto stated. ''...In other words, the Palace ruler determines the form and strength of their cognition. I would have loved to ask Futaba's mother how far along she was with her research.''

''Research, huh...She was lookin' into that cognitive psience, stuff, yeah?'' Ryuji recalled.

''If we put together all the information we gathered up to this point...'' Makoto started. ''...Abuse of cognitive psience can lead to death, and it may even relate to the psychotic breakdown incidents. Considering the cognitive aspect, I sense a strong connection between it and the Metaverse.''

''Yeah, it really fits too well...just like those people who showed Futaba that note.'' Namine frowned. ''They probably used that incident to steal the research and with them piling the blame on Futaba, no one would look into it.''

''If that is the case, those people are unforgivable.'' Yusuke stated.

''Hey, Futaba, is there anything else you can remember?'' Makoto inquired, the girl went and came back with food. ''She is quite difficult...''

''Come on, be patient, we're working through it.'' Namine said gently.

''I know, but still...'' The girl frowned.

''That smell...'' Ann watched Futaba walk back, holding a bowl of instant yakisoba.

''C'mon, no fair...'' Morgana groaned, feeling his stomach rumble.

''Hey, can I snag a bite?'' Ryuji asked, Futaba merely turned away. ''Meanie.''

''I think a break is in order.'' Yusuke said at last.

* * *

''I've been thinking...Even if Futaba is a genius, could she really crush an international hacker organization that easily?'' Makoto inquired.

''The one who taunted the Phantom Thieves was a guy in Japan. I knew the Medjed members in Japan were nothing special, so I wasn't worried.'' The girl in question offered.

''How do you know that?'' Ann asked.

What she said next threw everyone for a loop.

''Cause I'm the founder.''

The group stared at her, surprised ''Wait, what?'' Morgana blinked.

''Um...wait, are you saying...?'' Makoto started.

''Yup, I mean it literally. It was only me at first back when I referred to as the hacker of justice. But since I stayed anonymous, a buncha guys from all over the world started using the name.''

''And those were the ones committing cyber crimes.'' Ann realized.

''It was a hassle to expose them so I left them be.'' Futaba said calmly.

''Uhhh...so Futaba was the real Medjed and were freakin' out over some weak-ass dipshits?'' Ryuji held back a groan. ''You should've told us from the start, Futaba.''

''I discarded the name, I'm Alibaba now.''

''Futaba, what do you want to do? Since you know our secret, we'd like you to join our team.'' Makoto stated.

''Kay.'' She returned.

''Just like that?'' Ann blinked.

''This may even ensure our investigation of Mementos goes along smoothly.'' Makoto smiled.

''Well...I guess.'' Morgana returned.

''Well, Futaba's real amazin! She's gonna be a real big help for us, huh?'' Ryuji grinned.

''That's for sure.'' Namine agreed.

''Say, Futaba, how did you find out about us?'' asked Makoto.

''Secret.''

The girl tried again ''Where did you learn to hack?''

''Private.''

''When did you obtain the Nav?''

She began to frown ''I refuse to answer.''

''Futaba-chan sure is unique...Still, it'll be a problem is doesn't open to us some more.'' Ann sighed.

''Easy on her, you guys. This is some progress, right? Don't push it.'' Namine stated.

''While your patience is very much understood, at the very least, we need to be able to communicate normally with her.'' Yusuke returned.

''Can't you ask her for us, Namine?'' Morgana wondered.

''...You do remember she's still here, right?''

''Yes,'' The girl frowned at the cat. ''And I won't tell if I don't want to, that's that.''

''Anyway, Namine, what do you think we should do?'' Makoto asked the girl.

''Hm, how about we get to know her?''

''How?'' Ann asked.

The girl thought for a bit ''Well, we just spend some time together and learn more about her. Does that work?''

''I would say so.'' Makoto returned. ''First, we'll need to help her open to us. If we each spend an entire day with her, maybe she'll get used to to being around us.''

''I see. We do have time, thanks to summer vacation.'' Yusuke smiled.

''We can begin tomorrow.'' The brunette smiled.

''Let's go to the beach!'' Ryuji suggsted. ''There'll be tonsa people there, plus we got totally dried out in that desert.''

Ann perked up ''That's a great idea! I forgot I hadn't gone to the beach yet!''

''Erm, what do you think Futaba?'' Namine said after a moment.

''...Glad someone remembered to ask me.'' She huffed.

''I'll come by tomorrow, see you then.'' Makoto decided.

''Let me help as well, I don't have anything planned.'' Yusuke chipped in.

''Thanks. We can set a schedule with everyone else depending on when they're free.''

''OK!'' Ryuji agreed,

''Uh, guys? Shouldn't we talk to the person most involved?'' Morgana pointed out, looking at Futaba.

''Hey, we're working it all out. Right, Futaba-chan?'' Ann returned, excited.

''Sure, sure...'' Futaba sighed, not seeing the point in pressing the matter further. ''...They already decided on their own...'' She looked at Namine. ''...are you going to be there?''

''If you want me to be, sure.''

The orange haired girl sighed in relief, she knew they were trying to help but still...it all seemed too much. At least with Namine there, she felt a bit better about this. ''Good...''

* * *

Later that night, Namine woke up in the Velvet Room...

''Our master would like a word. Stand up staight and listen closely, Inmate.'' Justine ordered.

''It seems you have freed the heart of a frenzied girl and saved her from her haunted past.'' Igor mused. ''Another step has been to rehabiliation...you are progressing quite nicely.''

''Um, thanks, I guess...it wouldn't have worked if I didn't have the people who helped me this far.'' Namine returned.

Igor chuckled ''You remain humble, with such success and progress. That's good to see. By the way, more curious information has found its way to my ears. A scientist's research...it seems that world may secretly be known after all.''

''Oh, you mean Isshiki-san's work...and the people who stole it.'' Namine realized. ''How do you think she could have even learned about this world?''

''At best, I can say that she may have found a way to contact her other self. Though that remains a guess.'' Was the response. ''That very research is being used by those with malicious intent.''

''Yeah, I can see it after what they did to Futaba...wait, you think the criminal in black mask is connected with all this?''

''That may very well be the case. I advise you to approach this matter with caution. Allow me to grant you a new power worthy of your current you have my aid, be sure not to let your guard down. Otherise you may get swept off your feet.''

''Right, thanks. But really I gor, I think that crazy fight we had last month was enough of a reminder...''

''I concede the point. You are certainly making full use of your experiences then. That is very good indeed. We shall meet again in the near future.''

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope this was okay. I wasn't even sure when I'd get back to writing chapters but I really didn't want to abandon this story. I'm actually more or less done with this arc and plot wise, I got up to the Hawaii trip. This arc is where I get to try out some of the ideas when I first started this story. Considering how much trouble the issue with Okumura gave me, the plan's a bit of a mess at the moment but I'm trying to work it all through. Anyway, like I said, things have been rough but I'm working to get myself back in the spirit of things again. I hope you like the chapter._

 _The bit with Yusuke forcing himself a lot is just this impression I couldn't shake from his confidant. I know it's partly because of the scholarship and all but I just couldn't help but think. I like art a lot myself and I have a hard time drawing if I'm not in the mood or if I don't enjoy it. I kinda figured that someone who just kept pressing ahead like that would have it hard and everyone needs a break every now and then, that's all. I think it's clear now but I'm planning to change things a little more in the rest of Takemi's arcana, but you'll see what I mean eventually._ _Well, till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 7)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 9)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 5)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 1)_


	43. Chapter 43

_Wow, here I thought I was getting worse after that hiatus but the last chapter got a round of good responses. Thanks a bunch, you guys are awesome, you help me keep this going._

 _Defender31415: Thanks! Don't apologize, your advice on Okumura really did help._

 _Vangran: I'm glad you like it. Good observation! Let's just say I've got a little plot of my own when it comes to Igor and the Velvet room. Yeah, I found the stilted lines you mentioned, I never actually remembered to proof read the chapter that day so I'm not surprised._

 _Candy Mix-Up: Thanks, I definitely will._

 _LordKirkleton: Been a long time since I've heard from you. Your review really made my day, thanks a bunch! I'm really happy to hear you like Namine and that you find my story so interesting. I couldn't agree more, sometimes just offering a helping hand to someone so they can fix their problems makes quite a difference. That's what I was going for. Well, I'm till a bit undecided on the romance front but I don't think it's time to start on that yet. Hope you made sure to catch up on that sleep._

* * *

The next day came, marking the beginning of their plans with Futaba. As Namine made to head to the Sakura residence with Morgana, they were stopped by a curious Sojiro.

''So I hear you kids cooked up quite a training plan for Futaba.'' He remarked.

''Oh, it actually doubles up as a way to get to know her. She can't exactly get rid of her anxiety that easily so we'll help her through it.'' Namine returned. ''It's a gradual process, we'll start showing her around these parts for now and eventually spread it out. After that, it just depends on how she feels from there.''

Privately, she'd like it if Futaba could make it to the beach with them but she had no intention of pressing the issue. Especially when they had no idea how Futaba would take to her 'training'. Things weren't so simple so that the change of heart would remedy all the hacker's problems. She wanted to make sure the girl would be all right.

''Sounds good to me.'' The barista smiled. ''It's a pleasant surprise to see that she's up for this, also how well she's taken to you. Thanks for doing this.''

Namine smiled back ''You don't have to thank me, I'm glad to help.''

* * *

The two met up with Yusuke and Makoto near the Sakura residence before they all headed in. It didn't take them long to find Futaba, because...

Well, she was rather hard to miss. Thanks to the strange mask she had chosen to wear, it looked a little like a big doll's head and thus it really stood out before everything.

''...What the heck are you wearing?'' Morgana had to ask while Namine and Makoto looked bewildered.

''Well, I can't get started on this without my armor.'' Futaba said simply.

''Uh-huh, right...'' He droned flatly.

On the other hand, Yusuke appeared impressed ''Such avant garde design, you have excellent taste.''

Futaba laughed while the others exchanged uncertain looks, questioning the tastes that would have them liking something of that odd design.

''L-let's get started, shall we?'' Makoto sighed.

* * *

The five went to Futaba's room and took their seats before Morgana spoke up.

''You have an idea to get started, Makoto?''

''I'd like to simply have a normal conversation. That is the basics of true communication after all.'' Makoto replied.

''You're confident.'' The cat noted.

''Yes, you must well-versed in speaking when you are student council president. Don't think hard about our conversation. We're just going to talk about ordinary topics.''

''And what do you mean by ordinary topics?'' Yusuke wondered.

''You know, things like food or even the weather. Let's start with food. What do you like to eat, Futaba?'' asked Makoto.

''Organic ones.''

''Um, that wasn't exactly what I meant...'' The girl looked down, this already felt awkward. She hadn't expected this.

Namine had a thought ''How about curry?''

''Yeah, that's always good to me!'' Futaba smiled. ''How'd you know?''

''I just guessed because of something Boss mentioned...''

''Well let's try something else, how about the weather?'' asked Makoto. ''I heard that this heat wave is showing no sign of stopping.''

''Dunno, I haven't been out.'' Futaba reminded.

''O-oh, right...'' The brunette deflated, kicking herself for forgetting that fact.

''Makoto's getting overwhelmed...'' Morgana remarked.

''Th-this is odd...it wasn't supposed to go like this...'' Makoto frowned.

Namine decided to try keeping this going ''So going by the stuff we're seeing here, you play a lot of games right? I swear a couple of those figures look familiar...''

''Oh, you've probably seen them around before. Some of those are from games and anime that are pretty popular.'' Futaba returned. ''But yeah, I like them! Some of the games I played are old but they're totally good. You play games?''

''Sometimes, it mostly just depends on what I find.''

''Ooh, then I'll show you my collection! I bet we'll find something you'll like!''

Namine laughed ''Sounds good.''

''Well this is a turnaround...'' Morgana mused.

''Really...'' Makoto gave a small smile. ''...I did notice that Futaba seemed more comfortable around Namine. Maybe it has to do with those visits she made before.''

''Maybe...'' The cat agreed. ''...so what're you doing anyway, Yusuke?''

''...Ah, superb.'' Looking closer, the group could see that he had been fiddling with Futaba's actions figures, they were all in completely different poses and even their heads were different...

''Some of their heads came off when I was moving them but I made sure to rearrange them pleasingly.''

''I don't know if I'd call that pleasing...'' Makoto muttered, she didn't doubt Yusuke's artistic talent but looking at those ridiculous poses had to make her wonder about that choice.

Futaba cried out, clearly not liking this either ''M-my children...w-what have you done...to my children...?''

''They appear to be quite shoddily made.'' He stated.

''Uh, I don't think they're supposed to be moved around like that.'' Morgana remarked.

''That's because they aren't! They're from Phoenix Rangers Neo Featherman! No...Yellow and Pink's heads...And Red's been hacked to bits...This is all Inari's fault...''

Yusuke blinked, wondering where that came from. ''Inari?''

''Your thief clothes were like a fox. According to japanese folklore, foxes like inarizushi, thus inari.'' She said irritably.

''Inari...'' He frowned.

''Rggh, they were in the perfect poses too...! It was so much work getting them set up just right!'' Futaba scowled. ''You wouldn't know aesthetics if it hit you in the face, Inari!''

The artist was never going to take that one lying down ''H-how dare you say that to me of all people?!''

''Sheesh, that's not a conversation anymore...it's a full blown argument...'' Morgana stated as they watched.

Makoto sighed ''Yeah...well, I suppose with Futaba, her reaction to conversations depend on the topics...''

* * *

Once the three talked them down, things calmed down quite a bit. In fact, Yusuke and Futaba soon engaged in quite a conversation, in which the hacker took the chance to lecture him about her action figures...

''I see...so their versatility allows you to recreate almost any dramatic scene you can imagine.''

''Mmhm, Victory is great for action and Neo's got the best transforming suit. So cool.'' Futaba smiled.

''Fascinating. Art depicts a flash of inspiration but models offer a much different means of enjoyment.

''Looks like you were right, Makoto, she's okay at conversations if the subject interests here. " Namine remarked.

''So this is all I gotta do? What a breeze!'' Futaba smiled.

''In that case, we should advance to the next step.'' Yusuke stated. ''How about we have her spend time in someone else's room?''

''Yes, she hasn't had many chances to leave the house yet so that would be the perfect opportunity.'' Makoto concurred.

''Don't set the bar so high!'' Futaba exclaimed. They were getting carried away again!

''Hey, it'll be okay. We're still going to help you through this.'' Namine assured.

The girl sighed, she still wasn't sure why but Namine's presence was proving to be a source of comfort for her ''...Fine, if you say so...''

''I've left tomorrow to Ann and Ryuji, it'll be fine.'' Makoto stated.

''Can I wear my mask?''

''I-I think it would be best if you didn't...''

Morgana groaned ''There's really no telling how tomorrow's gonna go...''

''Well, let's just take it easy okay, no use rushing things.'' Namine stated.

''Are you gonna be there too?'' Futaba relaxed, feeling relieved when the older girl nodded.

* * *

When she headed out again, Namine decided to try visiting Takemi, she needed to tell her about Miwa...

Morgana's eyes widened at the sight of the crowd gathering not too far the clinic ''What's all this about?''

''Let's find out.'' Namine began making her way through. Since most of them recognized her as Takemi's assistant, they got out of her way and soon she was inside.

She heard the sound of footsteps and the TV running nearby. Things started to make sense when it turned out to be a news report declaring that Oyamada had come clean.

''Hm?'' Takemi walked out of a room. ''Oh, it's you...sorry, I've been busy, I only saw that message you sent me late at night. You said you wanted to talk?''

''Ah yeah, something came up...um, did you see the news?'' Namine wanted to know.

''I've been meaning to...heard there was quite a buzz about it today.'' Takemi followed the girl's line of sight. Her eyes widened as the reporter's words sank in. Oyamada...had confessed...?

Takemi could barely believe her ears but it was clearly happening. He had not only told about the incident with the new drug, but his manipulations and even how he tried blaming everything on his subordinate. The truth was finally out in the open.

Just then, the little girl, her father and the old woman Takemi had treated recently came in.

''Oh, Doctor! And Onee-chan, too, hi!'' The girl grinned, waving to Namine, who did the same in return.

Her father spoke up ''I wanted to speak with you when I remembered that the hospital that was on the news is the same one you used to work at. Chief of Staff Oyamada turned himself in. He was manipulating things behind the scenes. Turns out he was the one who made that terrible medical error, and laid the blame on you. He was the one causing the recent trouble here, right?''

''Ah...'' Takemi blinked. ''...yes, I've only just heard the news...''

''I knew you weren't capable of doing those terrible things he kept accusing you of, dear.'' The old woman smiled. ''I knew something didn't add up about his stories and I think your sweet assistant did as well, isn't that right?''

''Yup.'' Namine smiled at her. ''Looks like we had the same idea, I've been wanting to talk about this too.''

''Hooray, Doctor!'' The little girl beamed. ''But...what's a medical error?''

''What? Um...it's something that shouldn't be allowed to happen, I guess...'' Takemi trailed off, she still felt stunned by all this. She looked at Namine ''Is this all some elaborate joke? Oyamada actually surrendered himself...?''

''About that...'' Namine started. ''...seeing what he kept doing, I started looking into this. I posted a request on the Phan-Site.''

''Wait, are you saying...?''

''Yeah, he had a change of heart. The Phantom Thieves don't just target anyone so I figured they'd go for it if Oyamada needed to have that happen and it did.'' The girl returned. Truthfully, she didn't like lying but there was no way around this. ''I know the Phan-Site's admin and since he's aware that I work with you, he filled me in. Oyamada told the Phantom Thieves everything, he just started saying Miwa-chan died to save face and make sure the hospital's reputation would be untouched. She actually transferred to another hospital, it's near Inokashira park.''

''...So that's why...'' Takemi began to smile, feeling nothing but relief. She hadn't wanted to believe the rumors about Miwa but when she tried looking into them, nothing came up. At the time, her failure made her fear the worst. The doctor couldn't bear it if the word was true-that was why she wanted to believe that her former patient could still be saved.

She should've known Oyamada would've tried getting in the way...but now she was just so glad to find that her efforts weren't for naught-that Miwa was still alive...

''Ah, so this was the Phantom Thieves' work.'' The girl's father remarked. ''Good on them.''

''It really is. She was...'' The old lady paused, seeing Takemi's tears. ''...what's the matter, dear?''

The little girl was alarmed ''Are you okay, Doctor?!''

''...Yeah...'' Takemi returned, giving a small smile as she wiped her eyes. ''...so that's what happened...thank goodness...''

''Shouldn't you be getting a move on?'' Namine asked with a growing smile while Morgana grinned. Knowing Takemi, she would likely want to go to that hospital given the situation. ''You want to see this for yourself, don't you?''

''...Absolutely.''

* * *

Later, back in Leblanc...

Sojiro looked up from the newspaper he had been reading when the door opened and Haru entered. ''Oh, welcome.''

The girl smiled ''Hello, sir. I've heard about this place so I've been meaning to see it for myself.''

''You don't say? Welcome to the real thing then, what would you like?''

Haru stopped to think ''I'll have the house blend, please.''

''Coming right up.''

Haru smiled as she enjoyed the taste of her coffee ''Delicious...it's just as great as Nami-chan said...''

She hadn't realized she had voiced this out loud until Sojiro spoke ''Wait, you know Namine?''

''Yes, we're in the same school. She's been an excellent friend.''

His lips twitched ''That doesn't surprise me, those rumors about her really would cause misunderstandings but she's a great kid.''

Haru nodded, she wasn't used to people approaching her or trying to befriend her without looking for some advantage due to her family's wealth. But Namine didn't care about that and just chose to see Haru for who she was, that meant more than the heiress could put in words.

Feeling that she was being rude, Haru introduced herself only for Sojiro to return the gesture. He was clearly a little surprised to hear of her surname and Haru knew he recognized it right away but he seemed to think better of bringing the subject up, something she was grateful for.

Still, Leblanc was raising a feeling Haru hadn't expected. It felt...nostalgic, in a way.

''Something wrong?'' Sojiro wanted to know, noticing her pensive look.

''Ah, n-no...I was just thinking back-you see, my grandfather ran a cafe years ago. In a sense, this place reminds me of it. It's because of him that I grew to enjoy coffee.'' Haru admitted.

''Oh? You must have been close.'' The barista remarking, noting the fondness in her tone.

Haru nodded ''I still think he's had quite an influence on me...'' She finished her coffee. ''...ah, is Nami-chan here by the way? I was hoping to surprise her.''

''You just missed her, she was running an errand for me. But she should be back...'' Both looked at the cafe door as it opened, revealing the girl in question. ''...oh, good timing.''

Namine blinked, pausing as she noticed Haru ''Haru-chan! When'd you get here?''

''Oh, a little while ago. This place fits your description, the coffee was delicious.'' The heiress returned as they both sat down.

''Right? You should try it with the curry too, they fit surprisingly well.''

''With curry?'' Haru was curious. ''I suppose things do work out in unexpected ways.''

Namine nodded ''So how've you been?''

''Well...''

* * *

Sojiro prepared to leave when it was closing time ''So that was the heiress of Okumura Foods? Have to say, I didn't expect she'd be like that at all...''

''She's really nice, right?''

''Yeah, pretty polite too. From what I heard about her dad, one wouldn't think they'd be related.'' The barista mused. At Namine's curious look, he added ''One of my old regulars used to work for him. The guy sounds like a real piece of work to put it nicely. He couldn't wait to get out of the company after a while, he just made it sound like a real relief.''

''Oh...'' Namine wasn't sure what to make of that. ''...we've just been hanging out and I get the feeling she expected me to treat things differently with us when I remembered her dad's name. I don't really see why though, he's got nothing to do with whether I choose to be her friend or not.''

Sojiro decided not to remark on how that was different from how many would've taken it ''That's definitely for the best. From what she's said, that meant a lot to her.'' He picked up his coat. ''Well, I'm off. I'll be counting on you to close up.''

''Right.''

* * *

The next day...

It was agreed that Futaba would hang out with Namine, Morgana, Ann and Ryuji at Leblanc. The girl had come early as promised, only to be relieved when it was only them present...

''Huh, you seem surprisingly calm. I thought you'd be more panicked.'' Morgana stated.

''There's no customers.'' Futaba pointed out.

''Yooo.'' Ryuji called as he walked in, followed by Ann.

''We're here!''

The hacker almost jumped ''Eep?!''

Namine went to see the two ''Sorry we're late. We were out buying stuff and I got a little caught up in what to get.'' Ann smiled.

''So many snacks...what exactly do you plan on doing?!'' Morgana wondered.

''Well, summer vacation's the time when you lounge around in your room all day.'' Ryuji grinned.

''Yeah and eating snacks is the best part!'' Ann chirped.

''You're gonna get fat, y'know.'' Ryuji stated.

''Shut it!''

Ignoring the girl's glare, he looked around ''Hey, where's Futaba?''

''Well...''

''You have done well in coming here.'' The girl's voice made them look back.

''Wh-whoa!'' Ryuji yelped while Ann's eyes widened at the sight of the odd mask from yesterday. ''Shit, that freaked me out...that you, Futaba?''

''Yup, welcome.'' She returned calmly. Apparently, she was calmer with the mask on.

''Why are you wearing that?'' asked Ann.

''Habit.'' She said simply. ''Anyway, bring it!''

''Not sure I get it...but let's do this!'' Ryuji exclaimed.

''Sheesh, looks like today's going to be another noisy day...'' Morgana mumbled.

* * *

They headed up to the attic and began chatting...

''For real, it was freakin' amazing! There were girls all over me!'' Ryuji exclaimed. ''...Wait, you don't believe a word I'm sayin' do you...?''

''Uh, it's you we're talking about here.'' Ann stated flatly. ''There's no way you were ever a chick magnet.''

''What was that?'' He frowned.

''Sorry, Ryuji, I don't know if I'd go as far to say something like that but it does sound like you were exaggerating.'' Namine said sheepishly.

His face fell ''You too?''

''That's about the nicest response you're going to get.'' Morgana stated.

''Agreed.'' Futaba added. ''As a member of the opposite sex, I sense no charm from you, Ryuji.''

''Plus, popular guys wouldn't go bragging about that stuff to other people.'' Morgana offered.

''Which is exactly what I'm having trouble believing this.'' Namine elaborated.

''Y-you know what? You're all wrong!''

* * *

''I keep wondering if I should do it while I'm still young but the dresses show a lot of skin, right?'' Ann mused. ''...Hey are you even listening?!''

''There's no point talkin' about wedding dresses right now. None of us have significant others.'' Ryuji returned.

''Yup, I don't wanna get married right now.'' Futaba added.

''Me neither.'' Namine stated.

''Can we please talk about something else?!'' Morgana cried.

''Y'know, Futaba's fine havin' conversations.'' Ryuji noted.

''Yeah, she doesn't have any trouble speaking her mind.'' Ann smiled.

Namine nudged the girl a little ''See, you're pulling it off just fine.''

''Eheheh, I guess so...'' Futaba grinned.

''It all seems normal to me.'' Ann stated.

''I dunno what normal is...but if this is it, I'm happy.''

''I totally thought you were gonna be some weirdo, but I guess all that worryin' was nothing.''

''Mmhm, I'm relieved too. I think things should keep going smoothly at this point.'' Ann agreed with Ryuji. ''By the way, what's on the agenda for tomorrow?''

''How about we have her try to help around the store?'' Morgana suggested.

''That's perfect, it'll be good practice to have her up in front of strangers.'' Ann remarked.

''Eeep...! Nope, nope, nope! Showing up in the shop at lunchtime'll be like, super-crushing hard mode!'' Futaba exclaimed.

''You don't have to deal with customers if you don't want to. Maybe you could dry plates in the back?'' Morgana offered.

''Nngh...'' Okay, that DID sound better but the prospect was still unnerving.

''Don't worry so much, we're not leaving you all alone. Boss, Mona and I will be there for starters.'' Namine offered.

Futaba glanced at her before muttering ''...I'd be mad if you weren't.''

''You two sure get along, huh?'' Morgana noted.

''I dunno...I like it when she's here...'' Futaba admitted.

The cat sighed ''At least that's a start...''

''I've been thinking of introducing Futaba to Shiho, actually. I told her about you and she seems curious, she's up to helping with this.'' Ann admitted.

''Well, she sounds all right...so fine. It can't be any worse than what's coming.'' Futaba stated.

''Then it's all set. We'll be rootin' for you, Futaba!'' Ryuji grinned.

* * *

Nothing much happened the rest of the day, Futaba went back to work on a program she had thought of recently while Namine headed to her part-time job. Things went at a sedate pace and before they quite knew it, the next day came...

Thus, they were all at the cafe and getting ready to start.

Futaba was relieved to find that her suspicions about Shiho were true. The girl was very nice to her and though she was a little confused to see how awkward the hacker was, Shiho took it in stride and continued trying to make small talk with her. The hacker could already see why Ann liked the girl, she was rather friendly.

Futaba decided to try her own hand at making a little conversation ''S-so...um, you like the Phantom Thieves? There's all sorts of news about them.''

''I can't say I'm surprised but yes, I do.'' Shiho admitted. ''I find them impressive...if they hadn't intervened at Shujin, who knows what it would have taken for things to change...?''

''Oh yeah, because of that P.E teacher, right? Ryuji mentioned him yesterday.'' The hacker recalled. ''He sounds like a slimeball and the school administration is full of idiots for letting things go this badly for so long.''

''Yes but at least it's over.'' Shiho reminded herself to focus on that. She had nightmares every now and then about those awful times and a part of her still hated that it had taken the Phantom Thieves' intervention to act. It should not have been necessary, it just proved how unreliable the ones in charge of the school were.

Shiho was of the firm opinion that the Phantom Thieves were just, look at how much good they had done. For all people ragged on them, they fought for people whose voices couldn't be heard.

''So Ann-chan says you're really good with computers...She mentioned something about a game you created which actually raised millions.'' She remembered.

''Oh, that?'' Futaba thought back to the project she had worked on around three years ago. ''Ah, it's no big deal...''

''I think you're the only one who'd brush off something like that.'' Sojiro smirked. ''Remember how much fuss you caused then? The people were convinced that whoever created that game was a genius, which is right on the money.''

''S-shut up...'' Futaba retorted, blushing slightly. ''...they were overreacting. I messed up a bunch of stuff back there anyway, I'm working on something better...''

''That's amazing.'' Namine remarked as she joined the girls. ''So what kind of game was it?''

''I'm curious too, you seem to have some experience on games if you know how to make one from scratch.'' Shiho added.

Both girls were pleased to see that their attempts to keep things fun were working as Futaba loosed up again and began telling them about her plans...

* * *

''You want me to let Futaba help out around the shop?'' Sojiro clarified. ''But I've never had her do anything like that before. Is she gonna be OK?''

''We agreed that showing her a bunch of experiences would help.'' Namine offered.

''Well that does make sense, still...'' He was unsure.

''Can't we let her try it out for a bit, please?'' Shiho suggested. ''We're still going to keep an eye out of course but it doesn't hurt.''

''D-don't worry, I did graduate middle school last year...'' Futaba frowned. ''...I-I'll be fine if I just think of this as my first summer job of high school!''

''Well in that case...'' The barisa was impressed by his daughter's drive and he wasn't about to do anything that could ruin it. ''...just don't push yourself too hard, Ok?''

''Futaba-chan, turn it off.'' Shiho warned.

''Eep!'' Futaba hurried to the brewer while Namine wiped the table nearby.

''Hey, you all right?'' Sojiro asked.

A man walked in ''The usual, Boss. Extra Strong.''

''Sure thing...'' He looked at Namine. ''...Keep an eye out on Futaba for me.''

Nodding, the girl looked at Futaba ''You OK?''

''Y-yeah, I'm totally not freaking out!''

Sweatdropping, the girl went on ''Ah, just calm down...''

* * *

''She a new part timer?'' The customer chuckled. ''Man smooth as always. What number Bond is this girl, Boss?''

''It's not like that.'' He sighed.

The customer seemed to ignore that ''You usually go for the older ones, right? It's only natural you'd want someone younger sometimes. It's like the Guatemala Peaberry coffee. It's acidic sweetness is akin to a breath of fresh air.''

''Sorry, we're serving a blend today.'' He offered before looking at the girls. ''Hey, snap out of it. Hurry and bring him the coffee before it gets cold.''

Before anyone knew it, Futaba had taken over. The problem came next.

''A-ahhh!'' The three looked back in alarm, seeing Futaba holding out her tray for the customer. The problem came in the form of her mask, which she had apparently chosen to bring again.

''Yo, here's your coffee.''

''This thing again?'' Namine muttered.

''What in the world...?'' Shiho stared at the odd mask.

''When did she...?'' Sojiro grunted. ''Hey, Futaba. Haven't I told you not to show up in front of people with that dumb thing on? And be more polite when you're bringing something to a customer.''

''H-h-here is your coffee...sir.'' She responded.

''A-ah, thanks...''

''Did you see?! I did my job right!'' Futaba chirped.

''Um, you did try...'' Shiho started.

''But you really should take that thing off.'' Namine concluded.

The hacker stiffened ''But it, um, protects me from the steam!''

''Somehow I doubt...'' Shiho gave up and shook her head.

Namine sighed, similarly exasperated ''Well, baby steps and all, huh?''

''Sounds about right. To think Futaba'd go out and talk to a customer herself...Mask aside, I'm impressed.'' Sojiro smiled. ''Looks like people really can change.''

''Sojiro! Want to me bring more coffee around?'' Futaba asked brightly.

He didn't even think about the response ''Mask off first.''

She groaned but he wasn't about to drop this ''You're going to the underground mall soon, right? This thing will definitely stick out even more there, the last thing you need is to attract more attention to yourself, Futaba.''

''I guess you've got a point...'' Shiho had made the suggestion earlier and they decided to go for it but now. ''...I'm just not sure...''

''It's okay, we're just trying this out.'' Namine offered. ''No one's saying you have to go right away but it might be good for you to start branching out a little. You don't have to do this all at once, so long as you keep trying that's more than good enough. Right, Boss?''

''Absolutely.'' He returned readily. ''The progress you made already is pretty good, you have nothing to be ashamed of. You used to like going to Akihabara, right? Consider this a little preparation.''

''Well...okay.'' Futaba returned, feeling a little better with those words.

* * *

It was when until they arrived at the underground mall that Shiho saw big proof of how bad Futaba's social anxiety was. In Leblanc, she just assumed the girl was introverted and so had trouble dealing with people, which is what started causing her anxiety. She'd heard already from Ann but to think just being here intimidated the girl so much. The poor thing had really been hurt in the past, hadn't she?

''...Do we have to do this now?'' Futaba asked meekly.

''It's not so bad, Futaba-chan. Just take a deep breath and follow us, we'll help you through it.'' Shiho offered.

''Yeah, but...'' The girl fidgeted. ''...people keep bumping into me and it makes everything worse...''

''Well...do you want to try something on a smaller scale then? A different area, maybe?'' Shiho suggested, Futaba bit her lip, thinking it over.

Namine decided to try a different tactic ''It'll be fine, Futaba. Look at it this way, you never would have considered coming here before. Even a small step forward counts in the long run.''

''Y-you think so?''

''I know so. You said you want a challenge right? Well, let's have a look around. Let's not quit just yet, okay?''

''Yeah!'' Futaba exclaimed. ''I don't want to lose. Tell me what's good around these parts then, I wanna see!''

Shiho smiled ''That's the spirit. Well then, let's start this way.''

* * *

When Namine got a text from Ryuji suggesting that they get together for a late lunch at Leblanc, they'd all agreed that it was a good idea. Namine thought fast and decided to grab some ice cream boxes from the supermarket instead of the cones they had initially been going for.

Ann's eyes lit up at the sight of the ice cream ''Good choice! It'd be nice to have some in this heat.''

''I know, right? Man, the weather just sucks today...'' Ryuji leaned on the couch.

''So how was the mall, Futaba?'' Morgana asked, having retreated earlier for a little nap before they had left.

''It was nerve-wracking to go but I wasn't alone so it went okay.'' The hacker returned, sparing Namine and Shiho grateful looks. ''The ice cream's nice and I got one figure I thought I'd never find again.'' She held up an action figure. ''I had this one years ago but a part of it broke and I hated that...it was so surprising to see it there.''

''Well, good for you.'' Makoto smiled at her. ''Gathering the courage to face your fears pays off in all sorts of ways. Don't you feel better?''

Futaba laughed a bit ''Now that you mention it, yeah! I don't know if I won't be scared next time but I still want to try.''

''Cool! That's the spirit!'' Ryuji encouraged, Futaba beamed back. As nervous as she was, their support made her feeling amazing.

Sojiro gave everyone plates of curry and they thanked him before proceeding to eat.

Ann hummed happily ''Futaba, I've tasted curry before but it was never this good. Your mom's recipe rules!''

''I know, right?'' The girl grinned. ''Props to Sojiro too, of course.''

''Of course. No offense, Boss.'' The model agreed, both smiling at the barista.

He smiled ''None taken, Takamaki-chan. Wakaba really should get the credit here.''

They talked as they ate and drank. Ryuji found, much to his chagrin that Makoto and Shiho shared the girls' opinion. None of them thought he was a chick magnet.

''Sorry, Sakamoto, I have to agree there. You wouldn't need to boast if your popularity was the real thing.'' Sojiro stated.

''Aw, come on, Boss!''

Futaba snickered ''See?''

''Why don't you try picking up tips from the Chief? I bet he'd steer you in the right direction. He's got a pretty good handle when it comes to that kind of thing.'' Morgana remarked, thinking on how Sojiro seemed to easily charm a number of the female visitors he had seen.

Ryuji was considering that when Ann and Shiho came back with the ice cream and spoons so everyone proceeded to take some. Shiho proceeded to take a picture of everyone present with a camera, leaving her best friend curious.

''That's a good one.'' Ann remarked once she got to see the picture. ''So you're getting back to trying photography after all?''

''Yup, Mom gave this to me as a present after I told her about our talk. I figured I'll just go all the way then.''

''Hey yeah, you said she was a good photographer.'' Ryuji remembered.

Ann nodded ''Remember some of those pictures you saw in my place? Like the one from the race last year? Shiho took it.''

''For real? Nice!''

The girl looked sheepish ''Well, I don't know...I just find that it's fun.''

''Yusuke, I've been wondering...'' Makoto started. ''...did you think about what Namine said a couple of days ago?''

''I assume you're referring to the talk of whether I could enjoy art.'' Yusuke saw her nod and so continued. ''I certainly have...that certainly came out of nowhere but I found that it was true in a way. Perhaps I have been forcing myself an awful lot. Lately, it seems as if I have been forcing myself to continue painting...and I hate that feeling. What Madarame did affected me in more ways than I realized, perhaps that was why I couldn't bring myself to contact Kawanabe-san.''

''S-sorry, I didn't mean to...'' Namine started. It had just been a thought that occurred to her and she never expected that it would upset her friend like this.

''There's nothing to apologize for, Namine. You're trying to help me looking at things from many angles, something I'm grateful for.'' He assured. ''I still love art and I believe that will never change but I still yearn to paint like I used to-with a pure heart. I can no longer do so.''

''There's nothin' wrong with change, dude. Sometimes, we just gotta deal with the hand life deals us.'' Ryuji pointed out.

''He's right, I think it can be hard and may even seem impossible but so long as you keep trying, you can make it. You'll feel so much better afterwards.'' Makoto offered. ''In a way, isn't that what we're all trying to do?''

''Sounds about right.'' Namine agreed while the rest nodded. ''You're just trying to find your own way, Yusuke, you can do it.''

''Thank you.''

As he listened, Sojiro was growing more impressed with the group before him. They really were strong kids. They had all had their share of trouble but they were trying to deal with it. They were trying to adapt to their situations and deal with them well. As Makoto said, that was something anyone would have to deal with at some point.

Yusuke had a thought ''Ah, speaking of hobbies and past times...Namine, what do you say to try singing here?''

The girl blinked ''Wait, what?''

''Well, from what Ann tells us, one of the main reasons you can't enjoy music is the bad memories associated with it. Why not balance those out with some new positive ones?''

''That's a great idea!'' Ann smiled.

''Wait, she can sing?'' Futaba asked Morgana, who nodded and quickly told her about the situation.

Namine was clearly thrown for a loop ''Erm...but...''

Ryuji grinned ''Hey, go for it! Everyone's gotta start somewhere, y'know?''

''Yeah, I think he's on to something here. It certainly would be good to try'' Makoto added.

''We'd love to hear you sing, Namine-chan.'' Shiho chipped in.

''Yeah, come on, I wanna see how this turns out!'' Futaba exclaimed.

Still a bit unsure, Namine looked at Sojiro, who smirked ''Sounds all right to me. You should try, it'll help out in the long run. Come on, you kids really are breaking out of your comfort zone and branching out to learn and grow, right?''

''...All right,'' she said at last. The girl didn't quite like the idea but she had promised to try and get back to her old hobby so... ''I guess it won't hurt...this really came out of the blue. Word of warning though, I'm pretty rusty now.''

''We'll be the judge of that. Go on.''

* * *

Namine first began using her phone and it soon became clear why when some music began to play. This had been the instrumental version of a song she was familiar with and so thought it would be good to try now.

( _AN: Okay, it would probably help to play the opening theme of the Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel 3)_

Everyone listened as the music played and Namine prepared herself. In moments, she began to sing. At first, she started out softly but her voice soon rose in power fittingly along with the music. Her voice was fine, melodious voice and the listeners soon found themselves very much enjoying this.

She may not have thought she was but they all agreed that Namine was skilled and even if she was an old hand at this, she had a talent that was shining through.

Namine let out a breath once the song stopped, surprised. She found that she was getting into this performance before she really knew it. So maybe she had missed her old hobby after all?

''Well...I think there's only one appropriate response here.'' Makoto stated before she began clapping. Evidently the rest agreed because she soon leading the applause from everyone present.

''That was great!''

''Heck yeah!''

''No way that's rusty, you were amazing!''

''I'll say.'' Sojiro agreed. ''Seems this worked like a charm. You've got one hell of a knack ''

Namine nodded, a growing smile spreading on her lips as she felt her face grow warm ''...Thank you.''

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _Well, how was it? Good, I hope? I was going to stop the chapter earlier but then that last part with the lunch came to me when I was writing the chapter down and it seemed like it would fit nicely. So I felt like I had to put it there. I did say I wanted to work on getting Namine's passion for music back. For the record, this is step one. I just picked that song because I happened to hear it by chance and I loved it so that was the best one for this point._

 _That's it for the first part of Futaba's training week. I liked watching this part in canon, it was fun and interesting so I hope I did it justice. I've got a few more ideas in store before we get to the beach event, not sure if it'll be in the next chapter or the one after it, but it won't be far off. Anywho, that's all I had to say, so till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 7)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 4)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 9)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 5)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 1)_


	44. Chapter 44

_Vent-Zxa: Ah...I'm not really sure how to answer that but it's technically what I'm going for down the line. I mean, Futaba's just beginning to know the phantom thieves so saying she became Namine's sister is a little much..._

* * *

Wanting to go fishing, Ryuji decided to invite his friends. Makoto's suggestion of this being a possibly good idea for Futaba had the girl thinking it over, deciding it couldn't hurt. This lead to her asking Namine and Morgana to come along to the wharf and thus the two agreed.

''So, it's just us?'' Morgana asked as Yusuke joined them outside Leblanc.

''Looks like it, Ann's never really been interested to even try fishing. She's hanging with Suzui anyway and Makoto said she was busy.'' Ryuji returned.

''I only tried fishing in games...'' Futaba said thoughtfully.

''You're definitely missing out then, it's cool. Just watch, I'll show you all gotta do!'' The blond paused when he saw Namine arrive. ''Hey, there's our rock star!''

''Can we not start that again?'' The girl pleaded, for they'd been dropping some similar remarks ever since she sang for them before. Sure, the praise felt nice but she wasn't sure what to think when it came to her old hobby, it was complicated.

Namine would freely admit that Yusuke may have been on to something, that lunch would certainly make for a good memory. But maybe she needed some more time to settle her feelings on the matter. Either way, it felt like she had made some progress that day.

Ryuji just grinned ''Fine, I'll let you off for now. Let's go!''

* * *

''...Ryuji, when you said you'd teach us, I thought you were actually good at this.''

''O-oi!'' He frowned at Futaba. Truth be told though, no one could blame her as quite some time had passed and they had yet to find a single fish despite following the blond's instructions. ''Look, it's just a little bad luck okay? I've done this loads of times!''

''Talk's cheap, you know.'' Morgana said.

''Maybe we're in a bad spot? The others are making it work.'' Namine gestured at a man not too far who hauled up a fish.

''I'm telling you it's fine, we just need some time.'' Ryuji said dismissively.

Morgana was about to point out that changing their fishing spot wouldn't hurt but then he spotted Yusuke coming over with a fish as long as half as his arm, throwing it in one of the buckets. ''Whoa, so you pulled it off!''

''Yes, I more or less followed Ryuji's instructions but we merely had the misfortune to be in a bad place.''

Futaba spared the ex-athlete an annoyed look ''So he really was just being stubborn-where's that spot, Inari?''

* * *

Namine smiled as she placed a second fish in the bucket near her. ''Mona, you want fish for dinner?''

''Absolutely!'' The feline beamed.

They had certainly made quite a turnaround. The spot Yusuke chose really helped out change things and now they had a decent hall.

But it was Futaba who really lucked out as she had found the biggest fish so far and they had to help her haul it. Still, all in all, it was a good find.

''I can't believe Ryuji made such a big deal out of this, it's easy!'' The hacker chirped.

''Hey, don't go getting a big head just cuz you got lucky!''

''Ooh, jealous are we?''

''You wish!''

Futaba snickered and Morgana rolled his eyes ''You were the one who had to show off and act like you knew it all. That's what you get.''

''Oh, so that's what's going on. Should've known Sakamoto would be the source of all the noise.''

The group started and looked back in time to see Kawakami walk over. Ryuji blinked ''Whoa, Kawakami? What're ya doin' here?''

''Looks like someone's getting even more rude.'' She said with an arched eye, referencing the fact that he addressed her with no honorific.

''Oh, sorry...'' That was when he noticed the fishing rod and bucket she had on her. ''...you can fish?''

The teacher chose to ignore that ''What're you kids even doing in a place like this on a Sunday?''

''Ryuji said he'd show us how to fish.'' Namine returned.

''You don't say?'' She blinked, surprised. ''Not bad, Sakamoto, if they can pull this kind of haul with just you teaching them than maybe you do know your stuff.''

''H-hey, you don't have to say it like that! Besides, where do you even get off talking like some kind of big shot?'' The boy demanded irritably.

Kawakami gave him an unimpressed look before revealing the box were she kept her fish, leaving them surprised to see that it was almost full.

''Whoa, Sensei, you're good at this!'' Namine said.

''Indeed, that's quite the haul.'' Yusuke added.

The woman gave a proud smile ''It comes with experience. What do you say to that, Sakamoto?''

The boy grumbled ''You just got lucky! I say I can beat you.''

''Don't go making promises you can't keep.'' She returned teasingly.

Futaba snickered as the two prepared to challenge each other while Morgana exhaled ''Now he's getting worked up over nothing...good grief.''

* * *

''So they actually had a draw?'' An amused Sojiro asked when Futaba regaled him with the story later that night.

''Yup...I think they had. Namine, how many rounds did it turn out to be? I got bored and stopped counting after your teacher won the second round.''

''Four.'' The burgundy haired girl sat next to her. ''I can see where you're coming from though, Ryuji definitely took that too far.''

''Yeah, I still think he lucked out too.'' Morgana chipped in.

''Anyway, things are going pretty well so far, so I wanna try something!'' Futaba exclaimed, fishing an item out of her pocket.

Sojiro blinked but then smiled ''Fireworks? You know, that's a good idea.''

She grinned ''Right? Come on!'' The girl hurried out once she lit the firework in her hand and in seconds, it began to sparkle.

Once it burned out, she grabbed two and Sojiro helped her light them up before she grabbed them again and spun around herself ''Super double move!''

Morgana began to cough once the smoke drew closer to him ''H-hey, glad you're having fun but watch where you're pointing those things!''

Namine picked him up and he sighed ''Thanks...man, there's just no stopping here when she gets going, huh?''

The girl laughed a bit ''Well, it's all good...just look at them.'' The feline looked back at Sojiro and Futaba to see them talking animatedly. ''This is nice proof of the fruit of our work, don't you think?''

Morgana smiled at the nice change in dynamic between the two ''Yup, it's definitely a reason to be proud of being phantom thieves!''

* * *

The next day, the girls began making preparations to go to the beach. While she was still nervous, Futaba had declared- to pleasant surprise-that she wanted to go with them. Thus, she joined the girls as they went shopping for swimsuits.

''Oh, so Yusuke's idea did help!'' Ann said.

''I guess?'' Namine half-smiled. ''Still not really sure where I stand there but I think we can count it as a work in progress.''

''Works for me, you've got a real knack for singing, you know? It'd be a shame not to make use of that talent.''

''Yeah, you were really good, Namine!'' Futaba added.

''I completely agree, it just means you might find a way to have fun with music again. We'll help make sure it happens.'' Makoto offered.

''Thanks, I hope you're right...''

Ann stopped when they reached the swimsuit section ''Aha, here we are.''

Futaba looked around ''Wait, you mean people are okay with wearing this stuff in public?''

''Yup, it's completely normal.''

The hacker blanched at the thought ''You're kidding me! That's showing way too much.''

''Actually, some of those are rather conservative.'' Makoto didn't even blink at Futaba's incredulous look, merely grabbing a hanger that had a string bikini before showing it to the girl.

''...Okay, point taken.'' Futaba conceded. ''Still, none of this seem right to me...''

''Sounds like you're nervous again. Relax, we'll definitely find something. We've got a pro when it comes to clothes, remember?'' Namine said, nodding at Ann.

The model winked back ''Take it easy, Futaba, you're in good hands.''

* * *

Later, back in Leblanc...

Namine and Futaba were talking to Sojiro and Morgana about the upcoming trip when the cafe's door opened and Akechi came in. The latter shrank back, though it didn't take her long to note how friendly the detective seemed with Namine from the exchange she was watching. That definitely came off as a surprise.

Sojiro appeared used to it though as he took the detective's order and made to prepare it. Futaba was left curious, Akechi just seemed like pretty smug and a bit of a know-it-all to her. He was clearly different now though...

''Ah, I assume she's Futaba-chan?'' He remarked, noticing the girl then. They knew that he noticed how terse Sojiro seemed to be because he went on. ''Not to worry, Sae-san told me quite a bit of the situation. I think she definitely went too far in her investigation. I'm only here because I was in the area.''

''Fair enough...'' The barista relaxed. Well, he never had much of a problem with the teen before so ''...sorry about that, guess it's still a touchy subject.''

''No, I understand.'' Akechi waved it off. ''I've made my opinion on her...let's just say too strong approach clear. We've just decided to avoid bringing it up since we're still working together on the Phantom Thieves investigation.''

''Makes sense.'' Sojiro took that to mean it was not to rouse anymore trouble. That didn't really surprise him, Sae certainly seemed to be stuck in her ways to him.

Akechi exhaled when the man headed to the kitchen ''...That could've gone better. Well, at least I seem to be welcome here. It's practically the opposite wherever I go lately.''

Namine blinked ''Is this about what you said the other night? How people were giving you a hard time because you're against the Phantom Thieves?''

''Exactly. Apparently my mother was in a relationship with some low life of a man. She was swiftly discarded when he learned she was pregnant...That despair lead to her death. Thanks to him, I was passed from foster home to foster home. I do quite well by myself these days but that's also why I think Sae-san had no right to try that custody threat. At least Futaba-chan seems to have a nice, stable home here with a caring guardian here.''

Futaba blinked, he was passed between foster homes? It made her remember how she was passed between her relatives. Maybe that's why he seemed to able to get an idea of how she felt about living with Sojiro...

''They're a family.'' Namine stated. ''Nijima-san could've made things even worse than she probably knew...I don't think blood should be all that counts when it comes to family, those we choose to see as such are also important.''

''I can imagine. What do you think Futaba-chan, do you agree?'' Akechi wanted to know.

The girl nodded after a moment. Yeah, those people might be her relatives but they sure didn't feel like family. Sojiro on the other hand certainly did. She could definitely see how Namine's words applied here.

''So...you were passed around a bunch of homes too?''

Akechi seemed mildly surprised that she was addressing him but he answered readily. ''Yes, it's not a good story. In fact...I might have been much worse off but I was lucky to run into a person who really helped over almost three years ago, That person still remains a big factor in how I've pulled ahead so far. Makes it seem like our experience isn't too different, right?''

''Y-yeah...'' Futaba idly wondered who that person was but she didn't really feel up to asking. This subject already felt awkward enough.

''By the way, how do you feel about the Phantom Thieves? They've been quite a hit, especially after Medjed's defeat. Though it's not quite certain whether they were behind it or it was just an avid supporter.'' Akechi mused, noticing the girl step closer to Namine. ''Ah, too much, right?''

''Yeah...she's making progress but well, you know...'' Namine trailed off. It hadn't been a surprise, the girl had similar shrunk back when they encountered Kawakami before too.

''It's understandable.'' He finished his drink. ''I have to say, I'm jealous that you get to have coffee like this everyday, Hyakuya-san. I would never have thought you'd be be boarding at this cafe...We seem to share some kind of bond.''

''You think?'' Namine blinked.

''...Sounds like just chance to me.'' Futaba said quietly but they both heard her.

The detective laughed but it almost seemed a little forced ''Who can say? I heard that fate brings people together and I sometimes wonder if it's true. Hm, I think I definitely found my go-to cafe.'' He stood ''Well, the fact that you're trying to step out of your comfort zone is good, Futaba-chan. I'm sure you'll improve your social skills if you keep trying.''

The hacker was thrown off by those words, not expecting him to say anything of the sort. But when she looked at him in this different light, she could see why Namine was friends with him. She watched the detective bid them both farewell and head on his way, the meeting leaving her thoughtful.

* * *

Morgana walked up to Futaba the next day as they prepared to leave ''Hey, relax, you're as stiff as a board.''

The hacker almost jumped at his voice ''I-I'm fine! I can totally do this!''

The feline wondered if she was trying to convince him or herself ''Ah come on, it'll be fine. Just think of what you've done so far.''

''Yeah...yeah, it's like a challenge level or something. I can do it!''

''Take care, all of you.'' Sojiro said. ''Watch out for Futaba for me.''

''We will.'' Namine assured.

Aforementioned girl frowned ''Stop being such a worrywart! Everything will be all right.''

He chuckled ''Okay, okay...be safe and have fun, all of you.''

* * *

As Ryuji and Yusuke waited for the girls to get ready, they could see how many people had the same idea and thus the beach was crowded.

''Sorry for the wait.'' They turned back at Ann's voice, seeing the blond standing in a bright blue swimsuit that was decorated with flowers. Makoto was next to her, clad in a white similar outfit. Namine was on the brunet's left, she also wore a bikini but hers was purple and pink along with a matching sarong.

''Whoa...'' Morgana muttered.

Ryuji began to grin widely, also admiring the trio's beauty. Each of them certainly made for a vision.

Ann laughed at his expression, draping an arm around his shoulders ''Got a better opinion of me now?''

Namine and Makoto sweatdropped but both were distracted when Yusuke spoke up ''Isn't Futaba done?''

''I thought she was...'' Makoto poked her head back in the dressing area of the shack. ''Futaba? Is everything okay?''

''Yup!'' The girl walked over, clad in a suit somewhat like Makoto's, only in yellow, leaving everyone stumped to see that her face was completely wrapped with towels. ''This is perfect!''

Ann sighed and Makoto shook her head before she proceeded to take them off ''There's nothing perfect about that.''

''Come on, you look nice.'' The model patted her shoulder.

''Yeah, we're here to have fun, right?'' Namine smiled.

Futaba began to smile ''...Right.''

* * *

They managed to find a good spot to settle down and grab a bite to eat. Makoto looked around ''There's a lot of people-are you okay, Futaba?''

''Mmhm, you guys are here.''

Yusuke blinked when the girl revealed her chosen food. A container of yakisoba. ''You brought that here?''

''It's my comfort food.'' She returned simply.

Ryuji bit down into his corn dog ''Man! I've had this a bunch of times before it really tastes better here!''

''Let me have some!'' Morgana said.

''Sure! Here ya go.''

A few minutes later, he noticed how Makoto had eaten little. ''Hey, Makoto, everything okay? You're not eating.''

''It's fine, girls want to stay as slim as possible in a swimsuit.'' Morgana returned. ''Though I think you may be worrying too much, did you have breakfast?''

''Mona, no tact.'' Futaba said before the girl could respond, making the cat harrumph but he dropped the subject.

Once they were done, Ryuji looked over at everyone. ''What do you all wanna do? Play volleyball?''

''Nah, I've heard people talking about some banana boat ride on our way here. I wanna try that,'' Futaba stated.

''I'll come with you.'' Makoto stood.

''Me too.'' Ann added. ''Watch our stuff!''

''Oi!'' Ryuji frowned as the girls kept going. ''Wait, Namine, you're staying?''

''Mmhm, it's a three person ride anyway. I don't mind hanging back with you all. Anyone up for ice cream?''

* * *

Morgana hummed happily as he tasted the portion of ice cream she gave him ''That sure hits the spot, good call!''

''Indeed...'' Yusuke raised an eye. ''...is something wrong, Ryuji?''

The blond seemed irritated but he answered ''I can't stand the way the girls were acting now...it's like we were doormats. They didn't even think to ask about us just like that and here Namine's hanging back for us.''

''It's not that bad...'' The girl started to say.

''Don't try to defend them! I won't just take this lying down, we gotta take action. We'll show them that we should be treated better than this!'' Ryuji stood. ''Come on, Yusuke, don't you see? We're celebs who caused an uproar in society, we deserve a whole lot better!''

''Hm...perhaps you may be correct, but what did you have in mind?''

Morgana rolled his eyes at the artist's words, wishing he wouldn't humor their impatient teammate. But it was clear that both boys were going to go on whatever plan they had cooked up...

''We can steal hearts now and make ourselves some great memories!'' The boy declared passionately. ''I'll show Ann what good thieves we are. They're around us so much that the don't get it, but we can show our stuff now! It's Operation Babe Hunt time. We'll be back, you two!''

''Oh, brother...'' Morgana deadpanned. ''Ryuji can dress it up all he wants but he's just going to try picking up girls.''

''I couldn't have said it better.'' Namine shook her head. ''Well, best to let them get it out of their system.''

The feline hummed in agreement, lying down next to the girl as she went on ''So should we find you a cute kitty for a girlfriend?''

''H-hey!''

Namine laughed ''I kid, I kid...I was just wondering if you can communicate with real cats. Did you ever try?''

''Huh...now that you mention it, never. But it is something to think about...''

* * *

Morgana smirked ''Looks like someone's quite a hit here.''

Namine smiled awkwardly, for she knew he was talking about what happened just a few minutes ago. They were approached by two guys in turn, who began flirting with her and asking her to join them. The girl truthfully returned that she couldn't just leave before anyone came back. While the first appeared somewhat pushy, he wound up leaving in a huff when she wouldn't budge. Thankfully, the second had been understanding enough to drop this and instead offered her to join him on his boat if she felt up for it.

''It just made me think about my human form...'' The cat admitted. ''...maybe I could visit this place with her one day once I turn back...''

''Well, I bet you'd be a gentleman then.'' Namine said, already knowing who he was thinking of.''

Morgana puffed out his chest, pleased ''Absolutely, she deserves nothing less!''

Futaba's group returned shortly afterwards, Makoto's brow furrowed ''Did they just leave you like this?''

''It's all right, we've been having fun too.'' The girl returned, missing how Morgana beamed at her for the statement. ''So how's the ride?''

''It was cool!'' Futaba enthused. ''I think I wanna try again soon-you gotta come with, Namine!''

''Sure thing. But for now, how about we take a few pictures?''

Ann perked up ''Sounds good!'

When they finished, Makoto noticed how their leader was busy with her phone ''What're you doing?''

''Oh, I thought I'd send a couple of those to Boss. I figured he might like to see it.''

The brunette smiled ''Good idea, I think it'd take a load off his mind.''

It wasn't long before Futaba spotted Ryuji, he was faced with the two men who had tried hitting on him in Shinjuku and was understandably unnerved as he recoiled and tried to stammering.''...Should we help him?''

Makoto sighed ''I suppose...I'll take care of it.''

They couldn't hear what the girl said but evidently, she had worked it out well as the two men soon left, smiling at Ryuji. Not all trouble was over though as another pair of men approached Ann and Makoto and began flirting and trying to get the two to join them.

''Those are your friends? You're kidding me!''

''They're miles better than you too.'' Ann scowled.

The young man harrumphed ''Fine, have it your way.'' To his friend, he added. ''They're just a bunch of brats, leave them be.''

Ryuji wasn't even fazed at the insult ''Idiots...''

Ann exhaled ''Ah, just tune him out. I meant what I said anyway, I'd take being with you guys anytime.''

''Oh yeah?'' The boy looked pleased. ''Can't say I'm urpried they came to hit you-you look prett hot, Ann.''

The girl felt her face grow warm ''Th-thanks...''

Makoto began to smile as she made to speak but then she spotted Yusuke comeing closer with a pair of lobsters in hand ''What're you doing with those?''

''I happened to spot them earlier and I immediately fell in love with their sublime forms...''

Futaba joined them as Namine walked over ''Ooh, can we cook them?''

''Absolutely not! They are for my aquarium.'' The artist said firmly.

''Why? There's nothing special about how they look.'' Futaba said.

Yusuke frowned ''It seems you have poor taste after all.''

The girl glared back in return, remembering what he did to her action figures ''You're one to talk.''

''Okay, why don't we forget that stuff? Let's see what we can do have fun.'' Namine said to everyone.

* * *

And so they took part in activities here and there, ranging from volleyball to the banana boat and so on.

Yusuke kept have trouble with the lobsters until an exasperated Makoto grabbed a couple of their big plastic containers to leave them there. Ryuji's eye twitched as he held the hand one had bitten when he tried to help Yusuke before ''Not cooking them really seems like a waste.''

Makoto sighed ''Don't tempt me, Ryuji. At this point, I'm inclined to agree.''

Seeing how the sun was beginning to set, the group began preparing to leave. ''Futaba seemed fine in the crowd too, so it looks like she's overcome her last exercise.'' Ann remarked.

''Hey, Futaba, we're goin' home. Stop standin' around and help us.'' Ryuji called.

But the girl wasn't listening, she leaned on her knees ''You know...All this time I thought that iwas my fault that my mom died. It's because everyone said I killed her. Everyone looked at me, thinking I was a murderer. I ended up hating this world. That's why I shut myself in and covered my ears. I wished...I wished mom would come back to life. Sometimes, I'd wake up and think it was all a dream but nothing had changed in the world. That's why I'd sleep again, it'd be a repeat of that...''

''Futaba...'' Ann frowned.

''I loved my mom. I wanted to become like her. How she'd work late into the night. How she'd wake up early and make me a boxed lunch every day. How she'd do her best to further her research. How she'd scold me for peeking at her notes.''

''It was cognitive psience, wasn't it?'' Makoto recalled.

'''The cognitive world can become distorted through desires. If it becomes distorted, a person begins exhibiting problematic behavior in reality. That cognitive world disappears when you remove its core and further problematic actions stop.'' Futaba said, recalling some of the notes she had seen.

''That sounds like the Palaces...your mom really did figure all that out?'' Ann tilted her head.

''Yeah, a lot of that made sense after what you all told me about the Metaverse. None of it made no sense back then, but now I understand after it actually happened to me.'' Futaba mused. ''All I thought about was my mom. I was trapped in a cognitive labyrinth. I couldn't get out of it. There was nothing I could do by myself.''

''That's why you asked us to steal your heart? That's a huge jump in logic in so many ways!'' Ryuji stated.

''At first I didn't beliee the rumors about the Phantom Thieves...that they steal hearts. But I overheard you accidentally. I learned you were near me.''

''Overheard? Ah, the bug...so why were you listening in on Leblanc in the first place?'' Yusuke wondered.

''I had to keep an eye on Sojiro, make sure he was actually working.''

''Talk about an awful hobby...'' Ryuji lowered his head.

''You talked about stealing hearts. When I heard that, I was so happy that I jumped up and down. I thought, maybe the Phantom Thieves could cure my heart.''

''You could've just told us from the start...'' Ann pointed out.

''You might've been wary of me if I asked out of nowhere. And besides, you could've been bad guys. That's why I cautiously got in contact with you. I checked many times to see how you'd react.''

''Yes, you had us twisted around your little finger.'' Makoto stated.

''That's for sure.'' Namine agreed, Futaba snickered.

''But, Futaba, you didn't talk to anyone besides Boss for a long time, right? You must've needed a lot of courage to contact the Phantom Thieves.'' Ann remarked.

''...There were two reasons for it. One was Medjed's taunt. The Phantom thieves were so pitiful, it frustrated me. I would've been in trouble if they got distracted too...''

''Indeed, you were our only hope.'' Yusuke thought back.

''The other was what I heard through wiretapping Leblanc. Sojiro was being blamed with lies, like abusing me...He was threatened to spill everything about Mom...''

''Talk about makin' shit up.'' Ryuji frowned while Makoto looked pained, knowing just who did that.

''It made me sad and it hurt. I thought, I have to save Sojiro. I gotta do something.''

''So, that's why...'' Morgana trailed off.

''But the Phantom Thieves...I didn't think you guys would take such risks for me. That you'd worry about me so much...'' She glanced at Namine. ''...that you'd even go so far as visit me time and again to offer encouragement and support, you were just about the most good and kind person I've ever even heard of in the longest time...I'm sorry I acted like I doubted you guys.''

''Do you believe in us now?'' Morgana inquired.

''Yeah, I can tell. You're all really good people. That's why I have a request. Let me join your team.''

''There's nothin' to join. You're already one of us.'' Ryuji returned.

''Really?...I'll be honest. Changing people's hearts isn't my goal. I want to learn what happened to my mom...The reason why she was killed.''

''Killed...?'' He echoed.

''It was written in her notes. Should the self in the cognitive world die, the self in the real world would lose consciousness...''

Yusuke arched an eye ''Is this about mental shutdowns?''

''Then...going by what Crow was telling us...'' Namine started.

''This might be related to the guy he's after.'' Ann agreed.

''The black masked criminal...'' Yusuke crossed his arms.

''I don't like pursuing the line of thought but perhaps your mother's shadow was...'' Makoto frowned.

''I don't know for sure.'' Futaba admitted. ''But right before my mom died, she didn't seem right. No matter how much I talked to her, she wouldn't answer back. And she didn't jump into the road. It was more like she collapsed and fell in...''

Morgana remembered the talk with Sojiro and Akechi the other night ''Boss said your mom was acting strangely too...so she did have a mental shutdown.''

''Mmhm, that's why I thought what was written in the notes was real and looked into it. I read books, checked theses that were released online...I even snuck into the networks of various research labs to look at their classified data.''

''That's why you're good at hacking...what kind of brain do you have?'' Ryuji shook his head.

''But I didn't figure anything out. My mom's research was no where to be found. She was killed by someone and her research was treated like it never exited. I bet it's them...Those adults in the black suits who read the fake suicide note. I'll never forgive them.'' She faced the group again. ''If I stay with you guys, I think I can find out more about that world. Then eventually, it might lead to those men in black. It's a super personal reason why I wanna join you...Is that okay? Or would I just be dead weight?''

''No chance of you being dead weight.'' Namine assured. ''We're all in this for our reasons of our own too, we'd be glad to have you.''

''That's good...''

''If anything, you're dependable, aint' that right, Mona?'' Ryuji asked.

''Why are you looking at me? Are you trying to say I'm inadequate?!''

''Well, she was more useful than you, as a matter of fact.''

''Hey, that's inexcusable!'' The two started arguing.

''That is what our Phantom thieves are like but I hope we get along Futaba.'' Makoto returned.

She smiled ''Thanks.''

''Let's leave those two be...why don't we lose no time and decide on Futaba's code name?'' Ann suggested.

''What's that?''

''It's not cool if we called each other by our real names.'' Ryuji returned.

''Joker, Skull, Mona, Panther, Queen and I'm Fox.''

''In Futaba's case...'' Makoto started. ''...Hacker wouldn't be right, would it?''

''Mech?'' Ann offered.

''PC?'' Yusuke tried.

''No.'' Futaba frowned.

''Why don't we go literal and call her Goggles?'' Morgana tried.

''Super lame. You've got no taste, kitty.''

''Haha, in your face.'' Ryuji laughed.

''You really don't get much room to talk though.'' Ann pointed out.

''Seriously, ignore him, Morgana. The ones he came up were pretty bad. Sexy cat, Shoulder pads and Aburage, right?'' Namine deadpanned, the cat snickered back and nodded.

''...Yeah, he's even worse.'' Futaba decided.

''Any idea what you want the name to be?'' Namine wondered.

The girl stopped to think for a few seconds ''...Oracle.''

''That does sound fitting.'' Yusuke agreed and some of the others nodded.

''It's settled then! Oracle it is. With my vision, I'll show you all the way to victory.'' Futaba beamed.

''Sounds great.'' Ann smiled.

''Then, Futaba will be Oracle.'' Ryuji grinned.

''But man, I never even dreamed that the rumored Phantom Thieves would be so close!''

''Same goes to you.'' Morgana returned. ''To think you'd be the daughter of a Metaverse researcher...talk about a mysterious fate...''

* * *

Later on, the three were welcomed back by Sojiro, who had been pleased to see the pictures, thinking them proof that Futaba really had a good time. Eventually, he and Futaba headed back to the Sakura residence while Namine and Morgana settled down for the night.

Morgana twitched in his sleep, tensing as he had an odd dream. He was in what appeared to be Mementos, but it seemed mostly empty. Before he quite knew it, shadows gathered before him, forming what looked like his doppelganger with glowing yellow eyes...

He sat up with a gasp ''...That black thing was me?! That can't be true...I'm supposed to human...I should be...If we get rid of the distortion in the depths of Mementos, I'm sure-I'm sure it'll all be fine!''

''...Mona?'' The cat turned, seeing Namine sit up.

''Sorry, did I wake you?''

''Mm...that's okay, what's wrong?''

''Oh...'' The feline thought fast. ''...um, I absorbed all the sunlight because I'm black, you know? My sunburns hurt so I woke up.''

She frowned ''Why didn't you say so before? I didn't know cats get sunburns but we could've found something to help...''

''Aw, never mind, it'll be fine. We can leave it for later. Thanks though.'' Morgana paused. ''By the way, it's not like I'm bothered by this or anything...But hypothetically speaking okay? What would you do if I turned out to be some weird...thing?''

''It wouldn't bother me.'' Namine assured. It had been something she considered before but after spending this much time with the cat, she didn't want to let something like that change things. ''I think all that happened lately just leaves one with an open mind. We're ready for loads of surprises. After all, you're still you, our friend.''

''You mean it...?'' Morgana sounded hopeful. ''...If what I saw from earlier is true, is it OK for me to stay with the Phantom Thieves...? And even if I'm with the team, I'm useless at the moment.''

Namine looked confused, she couldn't hear him since he was so quiet. Something the cat knew.

''Don't worry, it's nothing...Well I've gotten pretty used to my life as a cat too. And to be frank, this storage room isn't bad either. Then again, I can't wait to turn back into a human so I can move out. Maybe I'll live a life of luxury on a suite on the highest floor...''

''Hehe, well shoot for the moon!''

''Right?'' Morgana nodded. ''But rather than becoming some weird thing, maybe staying as a cat isn't so bad either...Hey, Namine?'' The girl blinked. ''You and me made a deal...so I can stay here, right?''

''Sure. I'm glad you're here.''

''Really?...Don't forget what you just said okay?'' Morgana stretched. ''Come on, let's hurry up and get to sleep.''

''Mm, good night.''

''Good night.''

* * *

After finishing a shift in the flower shop the following day, Namine was invited along with Morgana, Futaba and Shiho by Ann to a cake buffet.

''Whoa, that's some selection...'' The cat's eyes widened at all the variety.

''Amazing, right?'' Ann smiled. ''This place has to much on their menu, it's hard not to over eat...Operation: Eat a Bit of Everything!''

''Wait, really?'' Namine clarified.

''Yeah, it's quality over quantity!''

''I don't think that's how you're supposed to use that...'' Morgana trailed off.

Futaba raised an eye ''Weren't you just telling Ryuji before how you really were keeping an eye on your weight?''

''T-that's different!'' Ann said at once. ''There's nothing wrong with treating myself.''

''I knew something was strange when you kept insisting we had to try and come sometime.'' Shiho looked a bit exasperated. ''You want us to make sure you don't eat too much, right?''

''T-that's...'' Ann started when Namine and Futaba started to laugh. ''...hey!''

''S-sorry but you should've seen that look on your face.'' Namine smiled.

Futaba snickered in agreement ''You've got her all figured out, huh, Shiho?''

The girl smiled at her ''Well, we've been friends for this long after all.''

Ann gave them an a flat stare but they merely smiled in response, making her roll her eyes ''Ugh, okay, fine. I've reflected on my actions...and I won't make the same mistake again!''

Neither of her friends were convinced and Futaba wound up voicing why ''You just said you'd eat a bit of everything. Sounds like overdoing it to me.''

''I won't...'' She faltered. ''...can you keep an eye on me? As long as you do, I think my resolve won't crumble.''

Namine and Shiho exchanged amused looks while Futaba grinned ''All right, let's go then.'' The first replied.

* * *

In the end, it turned out to be a good time and another sign to show just how well Futaba was learning to adjust in society. While the burgundy haired girl headed to Leblanc, Futaba stopped at home.

''Huh, that's nice to hear.'' The barista smiled when she briefed him about the situation as he prepared curry. ''It still amazes me to see all this progress. Before I could hardly get her to eat but now she's enjoying the curry just like she used to..she thinks it's delicious.''

''It really is, Futaba may be right when she said you've got people addicted.''

''You don't say...? You really do have prett good taste if you understand how incredible that curry is. Now then...there's something I should probably tell you. Here, take a seat, I'll pour you some coffee...''

''Remember how I said this recipe was developed by a scientific genius?''

''Yeah, the friend you told me about...Futaba's mom, right?'' Namine returned.

''Right.'' He replied. ''That curry is one of the last remaining connections she has to Wakaba.''

''I see...that's why you were...'' Now she had a new understanding of why he seemed so dedicated and meticulous in making it. No wonder Futaba liked it so much.

''Mmhm...I first met Wakaba when she was doing work the government. She was real trouble, let me tell you. Logic prevailed over emotion for her and she had an intricate knowledge of the human mind. I thought my pick up lines were the best in town but not a single on worked on her...heh...'' He smiled wistfully.

''Was she like Futaba?''

''You could say that. It was never clear what she was thinking...so I had a hard time trying to keep up with her.'' He admitted. ''Men are idiots though...We spend our time chasing things we can't get. Wakaba rejected me time and time again...but there was one instance I managed to surprise her.''

''Heehh, what was that?'' Namine asked with interest.

''The first time I gave her a plate of my homemade curry. The very next day she came asking all about the ingredients and what goes into the cooking process...Then a few days later, she handed me a scientifically enhanced version of my recipe.'' Sojiro paused. ''It was incredible. She used my curry as the basis but it was miles better than anything I made. Curry was Wakaba's specialty since. Naturally, Futaba grew to love it in no time. But then after Wakaba's accident...Futaba stopped eating it entirely.'' His expression darkened. ''The flavor would make her remember the pain...I've heard even small things like and even the sight and smell can bring back memories too.''

''...I think that's true.'' Namine said. ''I know the feeling...''

''Yeah, I figured you'd understand.'' Sojiro knew perfectly well what this was about, since he was also aware that it was because of her old hobby. He imagined her feelings about it to be mixed now, something like that wasn't easy to resolve. They'd just managed to convince her to sing for them. He had overheard her telling Ryuji that Futaba was part of the reason she did it, which when he thought about it, made sense. They couldn't go on trying to convince the girl to break out of her comfort zone and challenge herself if they didn't try the same. It just made his respect of the girl rise.

''Still...that curry was the only point of connection I had with Futaba. That's why when I took her in. I vowed to keep this recipe until she could eat it again.''

''...I think you're doing really well.'' She stated. ''Before, you said that there wasn't much you did for her but that's wrong. You make for a better family than her actual family.''

''Heh, I don't know about that...'' Sojiro smiled. ''...you had something of an influence on things there too. She's told me plenty you know? You really are doing a lot for her.'' Namine smiled back. ''The whole idea of pairing the curry with a nice brew is thanks to Wakaba's refinement too. Despite how introverted she seemed, she was extraordinarily perceptive of the people around her...I never even told her of my love of coffee but she figured it out just by looking at me.''

''From what you've both been saying, Isshiki-san sounds like a great person.'' The girl mused.

''She was. By then, I realized she was out of my league.'' He admitted. ''Not like I really stood a chance to begin with. She already had Futaba after all. This might seem like any old curry to most but there's tons of emotions crammed inside. So, um...make sure you keep the tradition going.''

The girl held back a laugh, knowing he was getting embarrassed ''Okay...''

She looked back at her phone as it buzzed, taking out to see a new message on screen. It was from Futaba and mentioned how the girl felt up to go to Akihabara and was in fact on her way now.

''Wait, is this okay? Going there on her own?'' Morgana wondered.

Namine bit her lip, Sojiro noticed her distracted state ''What's wrong?'' His expression changed into one of alarm when she explained. ''...I hope this isn't a step too far. Akihabara can be pretty crowded, wonder if she's okay.''

It went unsaid that so far his daughter had been relying on Namine and her friends for her 'training' so he feared she might jumping the gun.

''It's okay, we're going to check up on her.'' The girl stood.

''Thanks, I know I can count on you.''

* * *

''Man, Boss was right, this place is definitely crowded and even bigger than I thought...'' Morgana stared around.

''Wonder where Futaba is?'' Namine muttered as they walked around.

The former was the first to spot her ''Hey wait, Namine, she's over there!''

''?'' She indeed then found the girl talking to a policeman. One look at Futaba showed there was trouble. She appeared on the verge of tears.

''Futaba!''

The girl started and turned around, her expression turning into one of relief when she saw the two. She proceeded to grab Namine's arm and stay close to her.

''Do you know this girl?'' The policeman asked.

Namine nodded ''She's a friend. We were supposed to meet up here.''

''...Hm, I see. Very well.'' The man left.

''What happened, Futaba?'' asked Morgana.

''Sorry...'' The girl lowered her head. ''...I really thought I could do this...but I guess I froze up before I knew it. The policeman came and all those people started staring, I just sort of curled up into a ball. I thought I'd be over this after the beach...'' She bit her lip. ''...this is lousy, I couldn't even buy a game on my own.''

''Hey, don't say that. We're still going to help you through this.'' Namine said kindly.

''Th-thanks...'' Futaba returned. ''...you know, it's funny, I already feel calmer since you're here. It's like you're my key item or something, Namine.''

The older girl blinked ''Key item?''

''Yeah, you know, in games with big time quests don't they usually have some sort of real special thing that helps the questers get through it? That's what it seems like with you!''

Namine giggled ''That's an interesting way to phrase it but that suits you. Okay, guess I'll be your key item then.''

''Yes!'' Futaba grinned. ''You won't regret this, I'll get better and I'll make sure to work hard for everyone's sake. I may be the newest Phantom Thief but I'll be super reliable! ''

''I'll be counting on you then.''

''Right!'' Futaba gave a mock salute. ''Back at you!''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity._

 _With the birth of the_ _ **Hermit**_ _Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _Sorry, I meant to get this one up sooner, things have just been pretty busy lately. I hope it was good. I know Futaba's arcana went a little differently in canon but given what went down here, I think this works well enough. I couldn't fit the visit to that sushi place here but I might do it in the next chapter._

 _As it's been mentioned before, the issue with Namine's hobby will be resolved but it's going to take some time and effort. I already planned how it's going to work out but I think you'll like it. I always figured that if anyone would know could relate to Futaba being passed around her relatives like that, it would be Akechi. I know it's not exactly the same thing but the point is, it's enough to relate to each other on some level. Even then, they both had some help with Sojiro and the person who helped Akechi over three years ago. I am going to delve deeper into that subject down the line, there's no fun in revealing it all now._

 _Well, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 9)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 5)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 1)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 1)_


	45. Chapter 45

''...That was random.''

Namine nodded to Morgana's comment, feeling just as puzzled. Since they had agreed to go to Mementos today, the two had stopped at Untouchable to see about getting some equipment they were missing.

However things were tense in the shop as they found a couple of men in some kind of confrontation with Iwai, who had apparently decided to take advantage of their presence and discreetly gave Namine a small bag and quickly sending the girl on her way. When the men tried to intervene, Iwai had smoothly stopped them and cited that Namine was there for her own buisness and it had nothing to do with them.

''Those guys said they were from the police, right? I wonder what they were after.'' The girl's brow furrowed. Things had gone down so fast back there that she had practically no time to react. She didn't know much about Iwai but the man didn't seem to be doing anything wrong.

''You should probably go and talk to him some other time.'' Morgana suggested.

''Mm, that'd be for the best...'' Namine blinked when the cat began poking the bag in her hand as he walked beside her, trying to look into it. ''...what're you doing?''

''I'm curious about this thing, why'd he even give it to us like that? Don't you want to know?''

''Yeah, but...'' She bit her lip. ''...from the way he was acting, it seemed important. I don't feel right pushing into his buisness.''

''Well, if you say so...'' Morgana decided to drop the matter for now. ''...so what did Futaba want with all your phones yesterday? She never said.'' The girl had been oddly persistent when they met up the day before and she'd taken their phones to the Sakura residence before coming back twenty minutes later and he'd never gotten around to asking when they'd immediately gotten back to plan things for today.

''Oh, she fired up a program she came up with to protect our security. You know, since she could hack into our phones, it could've happened again.''

''Nice!'' The feline exclaimed, impressed with the hacker's foresight. ''That's a really good idea. I was just thinking on how we should talk about our work as phantom thieves more in person...''

Namine and Morgana passed the station, which was when the latter picked up on a change in the atmosphere.

''Hey, looks like something's going on.''

The burgundy haired girl soon realized what he was talking about as people here and there were muttering, some none too loudly as they stared in a certain direction.

''Look at him, all high and mighty even with all the crap he's been saying...''

''Tell me about it, I don't even know why he was so popular. Now just watching him on TV irritates me. Of course, he can't admit that he's wrong...''

The two soon realized that their attention was on none other than Akechi, who was making heading to one of the benches.

Morgana figured this proved what the detective mentioned before-how he seemed to be unwelcome in many places. The cat wondered if he could hear those people, if he did he certainly showed no sign of it.

''I wish the Phantom Thieves would target him next. Maybe it'd knock him off that pedestal.'' Another person said.

Namine frowned while Morgana's eyes narrowed, what were they even thinking? They wouldn't change a person's heart just because they didn't agree with them. That way they would be no better from the people they were fighting to stand up against. Both thieves unknowingly agreed that there was no way they would stoop that low.

The girl felt bad though, this treatment reminded her far too much of how the people in her hometown were around her. She believed that what they did as thieves was important, they were trying to stand up for what was right after all. But their actions also had the unexpected side-effect of causing this kind of thing...

''...This kind of thing makes me see why you really don't care about fame, Namine.'' Morgana had to admit as they made their way to their destination. Public opinion sure was fickle.

''Mm, it's really...'' The girl started.

''Ah, so that was the two of you.''

The two turned around to see Akechi approaching them ''Hello. I thought I noticed Morgana. You really take him all sorts of places, don't you?''

''Well, he gets bored and I did promise Boss to look out for him when he let me keep him.'' Namine returned easily. ''Besides, I think you can tell by now-he's pretty well behaved.''

''That's true.''

''Of course I am.'' Morgana puffed his chest.

It didn't take him long to pick up on the increased mutters and attention coming their way, making him hide a frown. Jeez, why don't those people give it a rest?

''Ah, my apologies, Hyakuya-san. It seems they've got their eye on you too now.'' Akechi remarked.

''It's fine. Are you okay though? If this is any indication of what you mentioned before...''

He seemed a bit surprise for a moment before giving an easy smile ''I appreciate the concern but it's all right. Being in the public's eye tends to draw this kind of thing. I was warned back when I was first interviewed but I never thought it'd be like this. Well, opinion about me and the police to extent has dwindled greatly while the Phantom Thieves continue to succeed. Given all the fear Medjed caused, I suppose it's understandable that people would count on the ones who stopped them.''

''I guess so but this still seems too much...''

''Seeing as how I've been one of their main detractors for this long, some backlash was to be expected. I thought getting fame might have helped but something like this could also happen...'' He trailed off, his tone leaving the two curious but he apparently had no intetion of elaborating. ''...given all of this I'm glad you're so open-minded as to hear me out, Hyakuya-san.''

''Well, I still think the Phantom Thieves are just but I figure it's best to wait until you see the truth yourself-it really has more meaning that way.''

''I can't argue with that point.'' The detective returned, understanding her sentiment. ''Though I do wonder if it will happen-there's no telling what the Phantom Thieves will do next after all. But I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.''

When the train he had apparently been waiting for came, Akechi bid them farewell and left. Morgana walked closer ''I'm still having trouble relating him to the guy from TV...but if this is what he's really like then that's good.''

''Yeah, I really don't like this though...'' Namine admitted as she picked him up to help avoid the oncoming people and they kept walking. ''...they actually want the phantom thieves to change his heart just because he thinks they're bad?''

''Well, we both know it won't go down. I like what you said about him seeing the truth though. I wonder if there's a way to make it happen...''

* * *

When Namine accepted Hifumi's suggestion of a match, she definitely wasn't expecting what came of it...

''Vanguard of my Togo Kingdom, go forth to the front lines! Trample them all!''

Namine had to admit, she was really lost. Where was this coming from?

Hifumi's eyes narrowed ''You think to protect yourself with that paltry defense? Hahaha, it's useless! Awaken, dragon! Let your shadowy hell fire consume them all! Dark Inferno Rook!''

Morgana blinked twice, just where had the quiet girl from earlier gone? She had a rather...fierce look in her eye that might as well have belonged to someone else.

''Can you hear them? The wailing soilders throughout the battlefield. With an incompetent queen, a soldier cannot show his true bravery, time for you to suffer! At last, everything is in place for the release of my true power! I summon forth the forbidden power that shall bring your end, Ultimate Excalibur Attack!'' Hifumi looked satisfied. ''Check.''

* * *

''Ah, I did it again...'' Hifumi sighed.

Namine blinked ''Wait...you mean this is usual?''

''Yes. It's an embarrassing habit I have in matches. I tend to get very aggressive. Like I assume the role of a queen...''

''That explains that...'' Namine started. ''...well, it's interesting.''

''I find it, a bit...well...'' Hifumi fumbled. ''...My father had me do image training exercises when I was younger to help with the rules. I began to view the shogi board as my own kingdom. I had fun coming up with stories and strategies for my, um, subjects. I've heard that people make fun of me on the internet.''

''They do?''

''Yes. They think I'm weird, or crazy...or an otaku.'' The girl admitted. ''I can't blame them...I think I'm weird too...''

''Try not to mind them.'' Namine advised. Personally, she thought those people were harsh. ''You're pretty good at this, you know? Way I see it, everyone has their own quirks. That's all."

''Your positivity is...a welcome relief.'' Hifumi smiled. ''I may be able to learn more from our matches than I thought.''

''Glad I can help.'' The girl smiled back.

''Ah, that's right. I've been wanting to tell you.'' The first went on. ''Do you read weekly magazines? I'm...doing a photo shoot for one.''

''Whoa, really? When's it coming out?''

''Later this week, I just wanted you to know so you don't be surprised if you come across it.''

''...That doesn't really seem like your thing.'' Namine said after a moment, recalling how the girl reacted when the mentions of her reputation came up before. Heck, she had almost withdrawn into herself when Haru first recognized her...

''Is it that obvious? I am very reluctant to do it. But...maybe if I can draw more attention to shogi, it'll become more popular. At least that's the justification I'm using...'' Hifumi trailed off. ''The truth is, I have an interview tonight, so let's end here for today.''

* * *

Soon after that, they met met up with the rest of the team and went to Mementos, this time with Futaba joining them.

The hacker around looked around the subway station curiously ''So this is Mementos...those tunnels sure seem endless. How far does this place go?''

''We're still trying to find out. But given that it's effectively the public's place, it'd be understandably huge.'' Queen replied.

''Hmm...'' The girl tilted her head. ''...Lemme try something. Persona!''

In a flash of blue flames, the newest Phantom Thief was riding the UFO shaped being and she proceeded to scan ahead.

''Oh, now I see what you guys were talking about! There's this really long hall that looked like it has a big door but now the door's gone.''

''So a new area has been unlocked.'' Fox said.

''That figures, we've been pretty famous since the Medjed situation ended.'' Mona smiled. This meant they were a step closer to a goal he wanted to reach, the depths of this realm.

''But damn, you can pick stuff like that up so quickly? Nice, Oracle!'' Skull exclaimed.

''Heh, just giving it my best shot. Come on, let's go!'' The girl grinned.

* * *

''So I was talking to Skull about our Personas before we go here...'' Panther started to say. ''...I've been pretty curious ever since Captain Kidd evolved...''

''Oh yeah, Panther, you were interested in understanding more about Personas.'' Mona recalled.

She nodded ''I guess through all that's happened I didn't really look back into that but it's been on the back of my mind for a while. But it's interesting, we awaken them after facing our shadows, the parts of ourselves which we keep hidden, right? Finding out about Seiten Taisei has me wondering how this evolution things works.''

''It's definitely something to think about.'' Queen mused. ''I'm just guessing but from what Mona says, Personas are a power of the heart. It might need some sort of trigger like our initial awakening but something like that evolution seems to come after we grow and come into ourselves so to speak.''

''As expected of you, Queen. I couldn't have worded it better myself.'' Mona admitted.

''So then Skull's grown up?'' Panther said, a note of teasing entering her tone as she went on. ''I don't see it. He still acts like the same old hothead.''

''Agreed.'' Mona chipped in.

''Oi!''

''You're kinda proving her point, you know.'' Oracle said as the girl snickered.

Skull grumbled under his breath while Fox spoke up ''Perhaps that isn't quite accurate-it's hard to think of anyone who dealt with experiences like ours and hasn't changed even a little.''

''Yeah, give him some credit, you guys. Skull's definitely changing for the better.'' Joker added, remembering how the boy handled the situation with Yamauchi and the track team for instance. ''Besides, Fox is right, I'm pretty sure we've all changed in some way even if we don't realize it.''

Skull spared them a grateful look, now satisfied. He moved things along. ''So what happened with you guys on the way? Mona was saying somethin' about a commotion?''

With that, Joker and Mona proceeded to tell them about the earlier encounter with Akechi. They were pleased to find that the others shared their mindset, not one of them wanted to even entertain taking the public's suggestion.

''Saying to change his heart just because of that...it's too much.'' Queen stated.

''Indeed, while I can't say I agree with his views on justice, expecting such a thing is absurd.'' Fox added.

''Yeah...still, that kinda explains the stuff I found about him online...'' Oracle mused.

Queen's eyes narrowed ''I'd say it's a sign that we'll just have to work hard and prove ourselves to everyone. So they will see what we're really about.'' The rest nodded back. ''Oracle, which way to our target?''

* * *

They arrived at another gate, which took them to their first target, Makigami Kazuya...

''He looks so...bad.'' Skull said after a moment as their eyes landed on the red haired boy who appeared to be around their age, but his eyes were glowing a wicked gold color.

''Well, I guess that's natural, he's the boss of that crime ring and even beat up his own brother...'' Oracle trailed off.

''We have to do something about this, let's go.'' Panther said.

''Me? Am I the one behind the burglary ring? Yeah, that's right!'' The shadow smirked. ''I convinced my friends to do some part time work for me. But I'm not in the wrong!''

''Trying to make excuses now? You should be ashamed of yourself.'' Fox stated.

''No, I just meant it as a way to have a little fun but those got idiots got so cocky! And now I'm the one who's in trouble, dammit! Why do bad things always happen to me?!'' Shadow Kazuya snapped.

''What're you talking about?'' Queen demanded.

''Ever since I was a kid, school, society...everyone treated me like I was dirt!'' He cried. ''My little brother was the smart one. Mom and Dad's favorite...they couldn't care less about me...How can you expect me to live a normal life? I'm rebelling against this shitty society!''

''You think violence and crime are rebellion? Don't be stupid.'' Skull retorted.

''What did you say? You guys are thieves, too!''

''We're completely different from people like you.'' Joker stated.

''And we're proud of it!'' Mona added.

''Don't think you're better than me, idiots! Such a condescending gaze...I'll crush you!''

He turned into a Mithras Shadow, growling ''I'll deal with you pests right now. Come!''

He raised an arm, in a second, he was joined by an Oni and and Onmoraki. The latter proceeded to rampage, its wild strikes nailing everyone in the vicnity. Laughing, the Mithras cast Marakunda as the Onomoraki lashed out to hit Queen, who had been about to punch the enemy boss.

That soon turned out to be a pattern, as whatever they did, both the Oni and Onmoraki intervened to protect Shadow Kazuya. Even worse, it turned out the enemy boss could heal them.

''This is really getting annoying...'' Panther scowled as she was forced to get away from the Onmoraki before she could finish casting a spell.

The enemy boss tried to up their strength but she put that to halt by using Carmen's Dekaja. This however, brought the three's attention to her and the two lackeys while the Mithras cast Magarula. Panther grunted as she tried to defend herself and a second later, the two shadows were rammed by Seiten Taisei, who blasted them with lightning. At the same time, Oracle was able to use her Persona's ability to give them all a well-timed boost.

Skull joined her ''Hey, you all right?''

She nodded ''Thanks! Carmen, Maragi!''

The Mithras jumped to dodge the flames and made to cast some healing magic again. Picking up on that, Fox rushed in to strike only for the shadow to change tack and conjure a bright light that blinded the artist, leaving him dizzy. It then cast Magarula, nailing him, Queen and Joker.

Mona, who had been able to dodge the spell smoothly, jumped closer to Fox and gave him medicine to snap him out of it. Fox nodded gratefully before the two proceeded to strike the Oni in tandem. The Mithras turned its eye on Joker and Queen, trying to blind them but since they had seen the act already, they were able to avoid that.

''Everyone, I figured it out! The big lug doesn't have weaknesses but the bird's weak to gun attacks and Makigami's weakness is curse magic!'' Oracle called.

''In that case...'' Panther smirked and aimed her gun, firing a round of bullets that quickly knocked the Onmoraki down. At the same time, Skull and Queen turned their attention to the Oni, summoning their Personas again to blast it with lightning and nuclear magic. The force of the attacks threw it down and Panther took the chance to finish it off with a few quick strikes of her whip.

''Che, that won't stop me! I can just get some more!'' The Mithras snarled.

''Not happening-Arsene!'' The gentleman thief flew out of the azure flames, casting an Eiga spell on command. The shadow cried out as it fell and the party launched an All-Out attack, leaving it very weak.

''Eat this!'' Skull cried as he and Fox struck again for the finishing touch, throwing the shadow down. In moments, it turned back into the human form.

''D-dammit...'' He managed. ''...Just what are you Phantom Thieves anyway? This is impossible...I get it now. You must have heard from my brother.''

''...So you already know how he feels.'' Fox remarked, his brother had been the one who posted the request after all.

''...He did this...for me...'' He held a key out. ''That's the key to the chest in my room. Give it to my brother...You're supposed to be the good kind of thieves, right...?''

''What?! Why would...'' Skull sighed and took the item, deciding it couldn't hurt. ''...anything you want to tell him?''

''...I guess, burn what's inside or throw it away.'' He started sobbing as he faded into light.

* * *

''So people like that guy have distorted desires but not enough to form a Palace, right?'' Oracle clarified.

''Right, we take requests from the Phan-Site depending on the situation.'' Panther replied. ''You wouldn't believe some of the ridiculous stuff people put up, like one of them was from a kid in school asking to change the heart of someone who wouldn't pay him back.''

The hacker furrowed her brow ''That does sound dumb...and things go down like that because people can't speak up or do something against those oppressors.''

''That, or they're just in a rough spot.'' Fox added, thinking of Nakanohara for a moment. ''Sometimes you just need a helping hand out of trouble and for those people, it'd be us.''

''I gotcha...'' Oracle wondered how it would change things if people realized the Phantom Thieves' true intentions in doing all this. They weren't looking for personal gain, but just to help others and give them strength to face their troubles. Heck, even when she had threatened them, they had really gone out of their way to help her and it was really thanks to them that was she was so much better off now. That she could really live her life again. That was all the more reason she was glad to have joined them.

''Guys, heads up!'' Mona called and in seconds they saw some shadows materialize in their way. They were immediately ejected and braced themselves for battle as an Anzu, two Arabahakis and a Decarabia appeared.

One of the Arabhakis proceeded to cast Makrakarn over the Anzu and Mona warned them that this would block magic before striking it. Fox blasted it with weak ice magic which he knew would be nullified by the shield, thus taking care of the issue.

Remembering the shadow's weakness from Oracle's Palace, Queen summoned Johanna and basted the enemies with a Mafrei. It managed to knock all the enemies besides the Decarabia down. Aforementioned shadow proceeded to strike them all with a Megidola spell before they could keep the offensive up. This gave the rest of the shadows enough time to recover and the star shaped being cast an Agilao spell on Mona, which burned him. Yelping, the feline thief quickly summoned Zorro to heal himself.

The two Arhabakis attacked Joker and Panther while the Anzu shadow cast Garula on Fox. Skull called upon Seiten Taisei to tackle them with Swift Strike while Queen ran up to attack one of the Arhabaki, only for it to jump back. Undeterred, the girl switched targets to the Decarabia nearby, forcing it back with a few punches. The shadow retaliated with a Megidola once more but the party was able to defend or dodge accordingly.

When the shadows attacked once again, Fox summoned Goemon to strike them with ice magic while Mona made use of Zorro's lucky punch, nailing the Decarabia and throwing it down. ''Here's our chance!''

Joker nodded ''Queen, you ready to finish this?''

''Absolutely.'' The first summoned Mithras and Queen caught on, calling upon Johanna a second later before they both called out.

''Mafreila!''

Both Personas launched the spells on cue, combining for devastating damage that finished off the rest of the enemies.

''Way to go!'' Panther smiled.

* * *

The group went on their way and a short while later, returned to the real world...

Futaba stretched once they left the station ''I'm kinda tired now...is this what it's always like for you guys?''

''Well, consider it your initiation.'' Morgana said as he hopped off a ledge and walked alongside them.

''You did pretty good today.'' Ryuji praised, making her smile when the others agreed.

''I have to admit, your Persona is unique, Futaba. I don't think we've seen one with anything like Necronomicon's ablities even with Namine being able to use multiple Personas.'' Yusuke remarked.

''Yeah, what's up with that anyway?'' The hacker asked curiously.

Morgana blinked ''Oh yeah, we never got around to explaining...well, Namine's a Wild Card. Those are rare Persona users who can harness the power of a multitude of spirits. We're not quite sure how it works but I kind of get the feeling that Namine's got her own special way to pull it off.''

The girl in question had a feeling he was talking about that silver light she wound up using a while ago.

Come to think of it, she had never really tried to access that power since then...

''Cool!'' Futaba smiled. ''No wonder you guys make for a good team, you've got all sorts of powers and you really make them work well.''

''Well, we do try-but keep in mind that includes you too.'' Namine said.

Makoto nodded ''You've done very well today, I have a feeling you're going to fit in well with us.''

''Awesome!'' The girl beamed. ''Say, anyone hungry? I'm in the mood for some curry after all what went down.''

''Sounds nice,'' Ann said.

''Yup, some of Boss' curry would hit the spot for sure.'' Ryuji grinned.

''Then it's settled, let's go!''

* * *

The next day, Namine was approached by Justine once she finished a shift at her part-time job, asking for another outing. This time, the girl admitted to being curious about a location and Namine was interested to learn that she wanted to visit Asakusa. She saw no problem with obliging the request, heading to the location and finding the girls near the exit.

Caroline cast an unimpressed look around the area ''This place doesn't look like it's any fun. I really don't understand your taste, Justine.''

''Isn't that similar to what you said about the Planetarium?'' Her twin returned. ''I know for a fact that you had an enjoyable time there.''

''Wha-no, I didn't!'' She said quickly, annoyed when Justine and Namine merely appeared bemused and she had the sinking suspicion that they didn't believe her.

Justine decided to change the subject, looking around at the stalls and small shops lined up here and there ''This seems to be quite the active place.''

''Yeah, I only heard about it in school but apparently they've got a bunch of games and a variety of food all over. What do you want to try first?'' Namine asked.

The twins looked around, seeing a couple of kids trying to catch fish in a large aquarium. ''How about that one?'''

* * *

'That was kind of annoying.'' Caroline grumbled as they settled down with their food, all having some takoyaki, taiyaki and three drinks. ''How the heck is anyone supposed to win that game with those flimsy nets? They fall apart just like that...''

''I believe the point of the game would be to use swiftness and dexterity.'' Justine remarked. ''Those children also had some trouble but they seemed to have fared well afterwards. Losing your temper just made it worse, Caroline.''

''Well, I can't help it! Humans just come up with some really irritating and useless gimmicks.'' She harrumphed, taking a takoyaki which she dipped in a bit of the sauce she picked up earlier.

''Wait, isn't that...Caroline, hold on!''

The girl ignored Namine and ate her food. Though this was something she soon regretted as she felt a rather strong burning sensation in her mouth that made her splutter. ''W-what the...?! It's like my mouth is on fire!''

Justine's eye widened ''...Inmate, what just happened?''

''She dipped the whole thing in wasabi sauce.'' Namine explained, having not seen the girl take it earlier. ''That can be pretty intense if you're not prepared-even more so if you're bad with spicy food...''

''Now you tell me?!'' Caroline glared.

The older girl spared her a flat look in response ''You're the one who decided to tune me out.''

''You-!'' The girl found that, much to her chagrin, there wasn't much she could say to that. ''Ugh, you're as irritating as ever, Inmate!''

''Hai, hai...'' Namine knew the warden well enough by now to not pay attention to her when her temper piqued like that. ''...try to drink your juice or just take another takoyaki without the sauce. Different flavors should make that burning feeling better.''

This time, Caroline listened and took a big mouthful of her drink, sighing in relief as she began to feel better.

Justine spoke after a few minutes ''Well, accidents aside, I have to admit that this is delicious. Unlike the feel of the city in general, this place seems to be more...traditional.''

''Yeah, but I think that's part of its appeal. There's a whole bunch of different stuff around and if you get tired of just seeing the same old sights, you can come here for a change of pace.'' Namine remarked.

''Hmm, I see what you mean. The japanese certainly seem invested in traditions and the like though.''

''Yeah, do people really have to stick to habits and norms that were usual many years ago? It kind of seems stuffy.'' Caroline chipped in.

''Well, I can see why you'd think so. Not everyone is like that, some families are pretty strict but over all, it just depends on the person.''

Justine hummed in thought ''That makes sense...I suppose it's just evidence of how vast the human world can be.''

Caroline finished up her food before she went on ''So I was wondering...there were some people on the way talking about the Phantom Thieves and stuff. Including talk about the next targets and a few of them suggested some big shot president called Okumura. You're friends with his daughter, right, Inmate? I mean, she is one of your confidants.''

Namine nodded ''But I don't know much about him. Haru-chan didn't really talk much about her home life. And those rumors...well, it's hard to say whether he should be targeted just based on that. If the Phantom Thieves used that kind of thing as a guideline we'd just wind up with unbridled chaos. We don't want anything like that. I don't care about what the fans think then-we have to do what's right.''

''Well, I believe you're wise to keep your principles in tact, Inmate. From my understanding, some humans seem to tend to lose themselves to such expectations and get carried away with all the glory.'' Justine stated.

''I actually think it's a bit like that saying-all that glitters is not gold, you know what I mean?''

Caroline quirked a brow ''...Not half bad, Inmate. And here I was thinking we'd have to make sure you don't get cocky like how Justine described.''

Namine gave a small smile ''I'm hoping that never happens but on the off chance it does, please snap me out of it.''

She cracked a smirk ''Oh, you can count on that.''

* * *

Before the three decided to part ways, Namine stopped at the Velvet Room to check her progress with the twins' list. Luckily, she found that she was able to make the Neko-Shogun Persona and complete the next phase...

''Hmph, you're really getting the hang of this growth thing.'' Caroline smirked.

Namine made to speak but then she noticed Justine's odd expression ''Something wrong?''

Caroline blinked ''Justine.''

''Nothing of importance...However...presiding over the growth of another feels almost nostalgic...in a way,'' She hesitated.''...Do you feel the same, Caroline?''

''Whaddya mean...? We've never taken care of someone like this before.''

''You are not wrong about that. And yet, our duty to aid her rehabilitation aside, observing her growth feels oddly familiar...'' The girl forwned.

''That can't be right! The inmate's growth and this rehabilitation are the exact same thing!'' Caroline looked at Namine. ''Hey, Inmate. The growth you're getting from these tasks is helping with your rehabilitation, right?''

''I think so...''

''See, Justine? They're the same.''

The girl frowned ''Is that not something we should judge for ourselves though...?''

Caroline's eye narrowed ''Anyway, Justine, don't forget about our job. The duty we've been handed is all that matters. Don't think about anything else.''

''I suppose...you are correct...'' Justine didn't seem convinced though.

Her sister sighed ''I guess you're gonna keep worrying about this till the inmate finishes her rehabiliation, huh? Look what you've done, Inmate. Getting us all wrapped up in your fate, ugh...''

Namine decided not to respond, as thanks to her bond with them, she knew Caroline was just worried about her twin.

''Could it be...?'' Justine crossed her arms.

''What's up?''

''...Nothing. But...I believe I am beginning to look forward to seeing whether the Inmate can complete her tasks.''

''You heard her. Don't disappoint us, Inmate!'' Caroline said.

Namine nodded, she was getting curious to see what would come from finishing this up ''I told you I'll finish the list, I'll make sure of it.''

* * *

Since Sojiro had a surprise planned for his charges today, he asked them to wait until he could close up shop so Futaba went on to hang out with Namine in the attic...

''Now I wanna know what Sojiro's got up his sleeve?'' The girl leaned back on the couch.

''Well, from the look on his face, whatever it is sounds good.'' Namine remarked.

''True, true and it sounds like he really won't tell until we get to it.'' Futaba noted. ''Say, I've been thinking...it feels like I made a lot of progress-like I went over 20 levels in the past weeks. But then I remember what happened in Akihabara and...well...''

''Hey, don't worry about that. We'll make sure you get to deal with those fears. Look at it this way, it's something to strive for. So one day, you'll be able to look back at these times and feel proud of yourself.'' Namine cut in.

The hacker perked up ''You think so...? I find it hard to imagine but I like how you put it, so it'd be a goal for clearing the stage...'' She paused. ''...I'm pretty good with computers but it's like I freeze up and I can't even bring myself to speak up sometimes...I know Sojiro wants me to go back to school but when I think of what could happen...that things could go bad just like when I last when to school...I just don't think I can deal with that...''

Namine was puzzled at the wording-what happened when she last went to school?

''Anyway, online classes are better for studying and I won't even have to leave the house.'' Futaba stated.

''There's more to school than that, Futaba.'' Namine pointed out. ''You could get a variety of experiences not even studying can prepare you for. Boss just wants to make sure you don't isolate yourself. There's more to school than just the work. After all, online classes wouldn't solve the problem.''

Futaba grimaced ''You're prolly right. Just studying by myself is way different from school...''

''Do you want to go back?''

''To be honest, yeah...I definitely do.'' Futaba admitted. ''Do you think I can, Namine?''

''Yeah. We can get it to happen if we work together. The whole team's got your back. It's a work in progress. Besides, I'm your key item, right? With that kind of support, we can make sure it'd happen.''

''Hehe, yeah!'' Futaba smiled. ''I-I'm gonna do my best.'' She stood abruptly. ''Oh, I should make a promise list!''

The older girl looked puzzled ''A what?''

Futaba looked at her ''My mom used to have me do that all the time. She'd write all my goals for the month, like cleaning the house or running errands for her. Then we'd finish one, she'd mark it off with big stamp. She always used to write comments too...those were the best. Oh, and once I finished all my goals, she would take a day off work to spend time with me.''

''That sounds really nice.'' Namine smiled.

''Right? It's decided, I'm gonna make a promise list, time to get my ideas ready!'' Futaba exclaimed.

* * *

''All done!'' Futaba announced.

''Oh?'' Namine sat next to her.

''Yup, I'll read it out. 1-Go somewhere with lots of people. Getting used to big crowds is key. 2-Go to school. I wanna see what the inside of a normal high school is like. 3-Learn about my generation. I definitely need more info...4. Have a normal conversation with a stranger my age. How's that?''

''Pretty good.'' Those goals seemed aimed at the heart of the problem and she thought they would definitely help deal with her friend's social anxiety.

''I'm not setting a deadline for this, by the way. I wanna try and finish all of them someday!'' Futaba chirped.

Namine nodded ''That's better. A deadline would mean feeling pressured. Don't over do it.''

''True, true. With you helping me here, I'll work even harder with my navigation in return!'' The orange haired girl hesitated. ''S-so, um...If I finish all the promises, do you think I could have a reward...? I know it's kinda weird to ask...having a reward at the finish line will totally push me onward...Anyway, I got this! Though I'm kinda exhausted from making the list sooo...'' She lay down. ''...I wanna take a nap.''

Namine blinked as the girl curled up next to her. She smiled, feeling pleased that Futaba seemed so relaxed around her and proceeded to stroke her hair.

''Mmm, that feels nice...'' Futaba smiled to herself and closed her eyes.

Morgana arrived then through the window, blinking when he saw the girls ''What's going on?''

''We were just talking and...''

* * *

Later, the girls found out that Sojiro wanted to take them to a sushi restaurant. Something that made Futaba's face light up ''Sushi? You mean...?!''

''Yup, just like before. It's been so long after the first time we went...but it's about time. You can go out again but Namine's summer break is almost over. I figure we should do something.'' Sojiro raised an eye as he heard a meow that made him look at Morgana. ''Sushi?!'' Morgana exclaimed.

''Man, that thing never stops meowing, does it?'' Sojiro wondered.

''I'd like to take him but I don't think that's going to work...the last time I went to a restaurant like that I found out they had rules against pets.'' Namine stated, thinking of the time she went with Haru. ''Sorry, Mona, I'll bring you some food back.''

''You know me so well!'' The cat beamed.

''Figures. I think I'll do that too. I do feel sorry for it...'' Sojiro admitted.

''Let's see, I want some fatty tuna, codroe...'' Morgana started.

''Hold on, why don't we wait until I get upstairs? I can just keep a note on my phone.'' Namine suggested quietly.

''Oh, good point. Sure, thanks a bunch!''

* * *

''So how is it? Good?'' Sojiro smiled at Futaba.

''Delihious!'' She replied, still eating.

''Don't wolf it down like that. No one's gonna take your food.'' He sighed when the girl choked. ''What did I tell you...?''

''Here.'' Namine pushed her teacup over.

She coughed after drinking it ''Hrestroom!''

''Huh?...Restrooms? They're that way.'' They watched the girl rush off before Sojiro sighed. ''Sheesh, what a busy girl...''

Namine smiled ''Never a dull moment, right?''

''Yeah, never a peaceful one either.'' He added with a snort, smirking when Namine laughed a bit. ''...Back in the day, she, her mother and I used to go eat out often...This brings back memories...I had completely forgotten about it too...''

''No wonder you seemed that happy.'' Namine noted.

''Heh, you think I did?'' He smirked. ''Well, it's hard not to be at this turnaround.''

* * *

''That was close...I thought I was gonna die!''

Futaba sat up ''Welp, time to resume.''

''You're still going to eat?'' Sojiro blinked.

''Meh, I'm all full, I'm throwing in the towel.''

''Which is it...?'' He stood. ''I'm gonna use the restroom and then pay the bill. Check please.''

''Comin' right up!''

* * *

''When I got into middle school, my mom and Sojiro took me out to eat sushi to celebrate.'' Futaba recalled. ''That sushi was so good...Today's was pretty good too. I hope the three of us can come again sometime.''

Namine smiled, so that explained her earlier reaction. ''That sounds nice.''

''When should we do it again?'' The younger girl looked down ''...I wish she could've had this sushi too...''

''Futaba...''

Her expression hardened ''I want to find out what happened to Mom...I won't forgive the guy who triggered the mental shutdown...So...''

Both were startled by Sojiro's cry of ''A hundred twenty thousand yen?! You're joking, right?!''

''Looks like we won't be getting sushi to go.'' Futaba frowned.

''Ahh, I did promise Mona...I'll see what I can do.'' Namine stood.

* * *

 _Well, I think I'll stop here._

 _I hope this was good. I was going for something light hearted just to effectively wrap this arc before I start on tne next one. I've made some good progress on it so far._

 _I've been thinking of some of the confidants stories and wondering how to go about them. Some parts I know when to advance in the story before but others are just harder. I was thinking of fixing up Makoto's confidant story a little to involve Sae some more (the story focused on this whole situation with Eiko a little too much) but I'm still thinking it over. It just felt right to have her confidant at least touch their bond even a little. Besides there's one part of that story which I can't decide how to handle well given my OC's gender. P5 R also gave me a few nice ideas and providing I can work them well with my plot, I might use at least one of the new characters from it, though I doubt I can work it like they do in canon. The new characters are interesting though, I figured it might be fun._

 _Well, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank 8)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank 9)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 6)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_


	46. Chapter 46

School started up once again and the Phantom Thieves proved to be a popular topic all around. A bunch of theories went about as people made guesses on how they took down Medjed.

Another subject that went around a bunch was the oncoming school trip, which was decided to be in Hawaii. A lot of students really liked that decision and excitement was up in the air as they looked forward to it.

''Well, let's get talkin'.'' Ryuji said as they gathered at the station, having agreed to think over a new plan. He glanced at each of the group in turn while Futaba was typing away at her laptop. ''Whadda we do now? Should we go after another big target?''

''That's important too but what about that villain in the cognitive world?'' Yusuke returned.

''It's almost certain that they exist. What's more they're inducing mental shutdowns...we certainly can't turn a blind eye.'' Makoto stated.

Namine look pensive ''Yeah...the only person who would probably know where to start is Crow but with the way he acted...''

Morgana nodded ''On the off chance we can actually find him, I don't see him agreeing to help at all. If anything, he'd probably just tell us to leave it all to him.''

''Which means we don't got any clues.'' Ryuji reminded. ''But you know how we're totes popular right now? Everyone at school's talkin' about us and not a day goes by when you don't hear it on TV either! We totally made it big, dont'cha think?''

''True. The rankings of the Phan-site have been crazy too.'' Ann smiled.

''You mean this?'' Futaba turned her laptop towards them.

''What the hell?! First place...keeps changing by the second!''

''People are voting around the clock after all.'' Futaba returned.

''If we go after these guys, I'm sure we'll score some big cash at least once!'' Ryuji grinned. ''What would you use money like that for?''

''I'm not thinking about it.'' Namine stated.

''Not even a little?''

''We've got bigger things to worry about, Ryuji.''

''Exactly. Are you fine with that Futaba? Even though it's related to what happened with your mother?'' Makoto inquired.

She frowned ''It's not OK! I'm definitely punching that guy!''

''The culprit behind the mental shutdowns...if you think about it, there's no bigger target. If we can change his heart and get a confession out of him, we'll be on top of the world for real.'' Ryuji stated. ''Should we reveal our identities then? I bet chicks are gonna be all over us.''

''Whoa, whoa, you want us to show our faces?!'' Ann was incredulous but then she thought it over and smiled. ''...I guess that might be OK.''

''Are you guys serious?'' Namine gave them an incredulous look.

''They might be on to something. If the true culprit confesses, the existence of the Metaverse will become known. There would be no need for us to remain in hiding in such a questionable manner...'' Yusuke trailed off.

''This is a terrible idea.'' The girl returned.

''I couldn't agree more. We're not doing this to stand out, you know!'' Makoto added.

Morgana nodded ''Being unknown is the allure of a phantom thief.''

''But considering the hype now, it's gonna be one hell of a huge deal if we pull it off!'' Ryuji insisted.

''Don't go getting carried away now. Remember, it isn't that simple. We still have detractors like Akechi-kun.'' Makoto reminded.

Ryuji had a feeling she had seen the detective's latest interview regarding them and his investigation like he had ''I know, but it's all just words. He's got no leg to stand on and of course he can't just back down, he's just trying to save face.''

''I wonder...Anyway, are there really no clues regarding those mental shutdown cases?'' Morgana asked. ''Makoto, wasn't your sister investigating it?''

''Yes...I can pry and ask about it. But she'll just tell me to mind my business and get angry with me...''

''If you can't ask her, wanna just extract that data?'' Futaba suggested. ''Does she have a personal laptop or something?''

The girl looked alarmed ''Don't tell me...''

''I can lend you a storage device with my special gimmick on it. Just stick this baby in and it'lll clone the internal hard drive! It'll even bypass the OS password! You'll have to plug it in directly, can you do it?''

''Sis does bring her laptop home sometimes...But I'm not comfortable going that far.''

''Ooh, is Futaba gonna do something amazin' again?'' Ryuji wondered, grinning.

The girl smirked ''Just wait and see.''

''Are you scared of seeing how your sister truly feels?'' Yusuke asked.

''No! Of course not...'' Makoto exhaled. ''...Fine, I'll do it.''

* * *

Shortly after everyone went on their way, Namine received a text from Mishima, who wanted to meet at Inokashira Park...

''H-hey, um...'' Mishima faltered when the girl joined him. ''...remember when I told you and Sakamoto that I was thinking of having Akiyama-kun becoming a target for the Phantom Thieves?''

She did. It had just been recently when they were at the gym and Mishima happened to be passing by-he had been in a bit of a bad mood and they wondered if he had just had a run-in with the boy in question. Neither she nor Ryuji wanted to take up that request and she really hoped he didn't want to keep pushing this matter.

''...I know you're angry with him and frankly, I think the guy's an idiot. But I don't want to have to change his heart just for something like this.''

''You too?'' Mishima blinked. ''I was just gonna say the same thing. I mean going after him wouldn't do any good for you guys. It'd be a waste of time. Your fame's on the rise and it's just best to focus on that.''

Morgana rolled his eyes ''This again? I guess somethings don't change...''

''...Mishima-kun, you really need to stop worrying about fame.'' Namine stated.

''What?! How did you know?!'' He looked down ''...I get it. Of course a thief who steals hearts would see what's going in the depths of my psyche.''

''It's not about that. You made it pretty obvious just from our talks.''

''R-really...?'' He looked surprised. ''...You know, I first started the Phan-Site so I could spread your message of justice to the world. But before I knew it, the only reason I wanted to help you guys was so I could get famous myself. Though maybe that's always been the real reason...''

Namine was curious ''Really?''

''I don't know...I thought I was doing out of respect for you guys...Yet deep down, I think I really wanted to show the world I'm more than some stupid zero. Look, where that got me though...I've been clinging to your popularity. I don't deserve to work alongside the valiant Phantom Thieves...''

The girl blinked, where was this coming from? ''Eh? Wait...?''

''Well, thanks for everything, bye!'' But moments later, he stumbled and fell hard.

It didn't them long to find the teen, who seemed pretty embarrassed when he saw Namine.

''You okay?''

''Yeah...I really am a mess...I can't even run away right...'' He gave a self-depreciating laugh as he pulled himself up. ''Working alongside the Phantom Thieves made me feel like I can change the world. But it's only ever been you guys...I'm still just as powerless as ever. I wonder if there's really anyway a pathetic guy like me can help you.''

''Okay, first of all, would you stop putting yourself down like that? Why do you keep repeating what those bullies said anyway? And second, if you feel that strongly about it, I'm sure there is.''

''You think so...?'' Mishima was wide-eyed. ''...but...I haven't been listening to you at all, have I? Lately it just seems like I'm the one just talking on and on...I get it if you're mad at me. I've been shoving all that stuff about fame at you too, and I know you don't like it.''

''Well...'' There wasn't much Namine could say to that. ''...that's still true.''

''I knew it...sorry...''

''I'm not really mad though, more worried.'' She informed. ''You were really going overboard there. Look, the way I see it, a change of heart should be a last resort. We can't just go doing it to everyone. Or we'll be the bad guys some think we are.''

''Oh...point taken. So you think you can reason with the targets?''

''It's worth a try.'' This had been something she had really been thinking over ever since they changed Futaba's heart. ''I mean you get some people like Kamoshida, who were so set in their ways that it wouldn't do any good. But it's also people who just lose control in a way. Some who need a helping hand, or maybe even someone to hear them out. There's all sorts people out there, I don't think they should all be judged the same way.''

''Huh...I never thought of that. You really are nice!'' Mishima exclaimed. ''So...I've been wondering, you mentioned something about having experience with fame in the past, what happened?''

''Th-that's...'' She uttered, surprised.

''Ah, I get it if you don't want to talk...'' He stopped when she shook her head.

''...You might wanna sit down. It's kind of a long story.''

* * *

''That's...that's...'' Mishima was floored. Because he never thought it'd be something like this. No wonder she hated fame. It really burned her terribly. ''...that's terrible! They still believed that slime ball over you? But you saved those people! And your own family...It's so bad that your parents haven't so much as tried to contact you ever since you came here...This is nuts!''

''That's just the way things are, I guess.''

''Wait and you became a thief after all that?''

''Yeah...it's mostly because of how things went down. We just didn't see any other choice. If we hadn't...one of our friends might have died.'' Namine admitted. ''We're not going to be anything like those cowards though. Not a chance. It's just that we all know what it's like to be stuck out in trouble on your own, we look to bring out evils that can't be judged and help people.''

''Whoa...''

''So, as much as I appreciate what you did, I really can't see myself ever caring about this fame stuff. Sorry.''

''No, I get it, totally!'' He said quickly. And he really did. She'd lost everything and almost everyone she knew growing up in what must have seemed like an instant. That had to be horrible, no one could deal with something like that so quickly. She was definitely still hurting but trying to keep moving forward, that was admirable. ''You really are amazing, Namine-san. I really see where you're coming from now.''

He stood, a determined gleam in his eye ''The Phan-Site, my special power lies in running the Phan-Site. I don't want it to be about public relations anymore. First and foremost, that site needs to be a haven for people in serious trouble. After all that happened to me with Kamoshida, I know how hard it can be to speak out against injustice...So...as long as there are voices crying out to the Phantom Thieves, I'm gonna help them be heard.''

Namine smiled ''That sounds a lot better. The site sure came as a surprise at first but it's pretty reliable, naturally, so are you.''

''That's great!'' Mishima grinned. ''I'm gonna do some research, I wanna figure some stuff out!''

''Looks like Mishima's making a turnaround.'' Morgana remarked, seeing Namine nod then. ''You know, I think telling him your story did help. He seemed inspired back there.''

''Well, good for him. It was just the truth-we are relying on him as it were.''

The talk did get Namine thinking though. She'd told Mishima everything her friends knew-except the identity of the drunk man. The girl just hadn't much of a chance to think about what she remembered the other night Leblanc through all what went down lately. It had just been really overwhelming. As much as she trusted Mishima, telling him that issue might as well be like opening a can of worms. Heck, she still didn't know what to make of that...or what she could do about it.

* * *

The next day, when the two approached Shunjin's gate, Morgana perked up at the sight of a familiar figure.

''Lady Ann!''

The model stopped and turned, smiling at her friends ''Oh, hi!'' She walked in step with Namine. ''So what do you think about the trip? It sounds awesome!''

''Absolutely. Going to somewhere like Hawaii would be great.'' Namine agreed.

''Right? I really want to check out the shops there-I bet they'll have nice styles over there.'' Ann admitted.

''Yeah, I don't really have anything I want to see like that...I'd just be glad to visit.'' The girl stated.

Ann looked bemused ''A trip like what your grandparents took sounds like something right up your alley, Namine.''

''Haha, well I won't deny that.''

Morgana looked a bit put out at the mention of the trip, knowing fully well that he'd be left behind. Not that he held it against their leader or anything, he knew there was no helping it after all. But still...

He was distracted when Ann stopped as her phone buzzed and took it out, her eyes widening seconds later ''What?!''

''What is it?'' The feline inquired.

''Shiho...'' The blonde bit her lip. ''...She said she's coming here today.''

* * *

While surprised as she was, the rest of the girl's friends were quick to offer their support, something a grateful Ann and Shiho took them up on. Thus, they agreed to meet up with Shiho after the school day ended...

Shiho let out a breath as she glanced around the school entrance, even when her mom came to settle her transfer issue, she hadn't stepped a foot inside. And now... ''...For a long time, I never thought I'd come back here.''

''Shiho...'' Ann looked on in concern.

''It's okay...this is for the best. I need to get past this hurdle.''

''I think you're doing the right thing. It may not be easy but it tends to pay off a lot in the end.'' Makoto offered.

''We've got your back, Shiho-chan.'' Namine added, approaching the door.

Ryuji nodded ''Count on it, Suzui!''

Makoto approached the door ''Well, shall we?''

Shiho nodded with a firm look and followed the girl as she made her way in.

* * *

Needless to say, Shiho's return caused quite a stir. As usual, word traveled fast and people were left wondering what would happen now...

''This ain't a sideshow!'' Ryuji snapped at a pair of girls who were standing on a side and talking quietly, their attention on Shiho. They flinched at his tone and looked away.

Nakaoka came around the corner ''Should've known that was you-what the heck are you yelling about?'' He blinked, noticing the rest of the group. ''Wait, Suzui? You're back now?''

''Ah, erm...not quite.'' She offered.

''Shiho's going to transfer.'' Makoto explained, knowing how the unwanted attention was making the girl uneasy. ''She just wants to...wrap a few loose ends, let's say.''

''Gotcha.'' He nodded. ''But hey, that's cool...it takes some serious guts to come back like this.''

''I know, that's what we told her.'' Ryuji nodded. Both of them knew what it was like to be under such scrutiny even if it were for different reasons so they could imagine just how unpleasant it was for Shiho now.

Nakaoka looked annoyed when he caught a few people nearby also watching and clearly talking about the group ''Hey, quit it! She's not some spectacle!''

That, along with Ann and Makoto's glares was more than enough to make them all leave.

''Good grief...''

''Thank you, Nakaoka-san.'' Shiho said at last.

''Eh, don't worry about it. I still remember what it was like after Kamoshida pulled all that shit on us. They were just like that. And given our own screw ups...we just want to make up for everything.''

''You're well on your way then.'' Namine's statement had him shoot her a grateful look. ''This'll just be another thing to show that in the long run, Kamoshida will become a distant memory.''

''Can't wait for that.'' He nodded. ''I've gotta go, see you all around. Good luck, Suzui.''

She smiled ''Thank you!''

* * *

Namine glanced at the newest message on her phone and smiled ''Shiho-chan, Futaba thinks it's real brave of you to come here too. She says you're like a phoenix rising from the ashes.''

The girl looked surprised while Makoto chuckled ''I kind of like that, actually. It's very fitting.''

''A phoenix, huh? That's nice of her to say...'' Shiho started, pausing when someone called her name.

This brought everyone's attention to Kawakami, who had been with Mishima a moment ago before she joined them. ''I thought that was you...''

''I'm here to just...settle everything for good, Sensei. It felt like the right thing.''

''Well, good on you.'' The woman stated, impressed. ''I guess that explains the talk I've been hearing...I know how this might Suzui-san but...how are you, really?''

''...If you asked me a while ago, my answer would've been different but...strangely enough, I feel fine.'' Shiho said at last. ''I never thought I'd feel so good after...Kamoshida but I do. I've had a lot of help and some wonderful support-thanks to them, things have been great. That's why I could come back now-it...hasn't been easy but I think it's for the best.''

''That's great.'' Kawakami smiled. ''And...for the record, I'm really sorry we couldn't help you before. Some of us suspected things were off about Kamoshida but with the way the principal and the administration went up about it, we just took them for rumors. I knew they were glad to have someone with Kamoshida's reputation and standing in Shujin but I never thought they'd go this far.''

Ann pursed her lips, biting back the first words that came to mind. This wasn't time to spill her bitterness with the school over this issue. Anyway, she really didn't see the point. No, she just wanted to focus on helping Shiho now.

''...Well, I think these times should be used as a lesson...for the students _and_ teachers.'' She stated. ''To stand up for what was right and be strong. If people had done that, there wouldn't have even been a need for the Phantom Thieves to intervene in the first place.''

Mishima nodded ''People can rag on them all they want, the fact is, they're the ones who saved us. Look where we would've been without them. Even after what happened to Suzui-san and Namine-san saving her, he still got away with that and the Principal still keeps saying that he didn't know any of this. And I know that can't be right.''

''Believe me, we brought this up in the meeting back at May but he just blustered through the whole thing'' Kawakami looked annoyed as the memory came to her. ''Don't let that get you down, though. None of us are on his side and we'll keep trying to ensure that you, the students, are the school's priority.''

Makoto smiled ''That's great, thank you, Sensei.''

The teacher smiled back and bid them farewell before making her leave. Mishima looked at the group ''Is there anything I can do to help?''

* * *

Mishima went around the school with them, offering his own support for Shiho and even helping them talk to the members of the volleyball team, who had been very welcoming to the girl, leaving her touched. The boy had to leave as he had business elsewhere but he also wished Shiho well.

Their last stop happened to be the roof and no one doubted that it would be the hardest part for Shiho. Though the girl was handling it all admirably...

Shiho touched the rail ''...You know, I never wanted to die. It's just that I couldn't take anymore. I knew I couldn't stay like this after what Kamoshida did. I was so scared but something kept urging me to go...like this inner voice that wouldn't go away. A part of me that just wouldn't stop until I jumped...''

Makoto's brow furrowed, wondering if it could possibly have been her shadow. It seemed like a long shot but Futaba had mentioned that she heard saw her shadow in the real world before coming to the Metaverse. From the sound of it, her mother had somehow contacted her cognitive self so it could be possible...

''...that's why I fought back even when you came to save me, Namine-chan.'' Shiho went on. ''I know it's no excuse though...I'm really sorry.''

The girl shook her head ''Don't be. If anything, I wish we could have spared you that horrible experience in the first place.''

''Same here. But hey, you're a badass, Suzui. Futaba's got it right with the phoenix thing, I mean look at you now.'' Ryuji added.

''That's right, see, you found your way after all. And you had all the strength you needed, you just needed a little help to find it.'' Namine smiled.

''Hehe, thanks.''

Ann hated to bring the mood down but she felt that she had to ask ''Shiho...that voice, it's totally gone, right?''

Relief surged within her when Shiho beamed ''Yeah, totally gone.''

''I'm so glad...'' Ann smiled, feelling her eyes grow moist as she took her best friend's hands in her own. ''...you just keep getting stronger, you're amazing. You have no idea what it felt like to see you here that day. I'm only thankful things worked out the way they did. I wish you'd stay but I understand why you can't-I don't know where I'd have been without you. I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you when you needed me.''

Shiho hugged her ''No, you were...in a way, you motivated me to keep going. The times I spent with you were the best. Watching you try to be a better model and get stronger inspired me. You really are my best friend, Ann, you've even stuck with me through my absolute worst. That means so much, thank you.''

''Of course I would! That's not something you should thank me for, you're not getting rid of me that easily.''

Shiho giggled ''I'm glad...and right back at you.''

She stepped back and looked at the rest of her friends. ''Thank you all as well. Namine-chan, especially you...I don't know where I'd be without you but I'm so grateful we're friends.''

''Same to you, Shiho-chan.'' Namine returned happily.

The observers all smiled, knowing how good this day would be for both Shiho and Ann. It would help them put away the memory of the times they suffered under Kamoshida away for good. While Shiho's visit had come as a surprise overall, there was no denying that it really worked out for the best.

 _I am_ _ **thou, thou**_ _art I..._

 _Thou has turned a_ _ **vow**_ _into a blood oath._

 _Thy bond shall become the wings of_ _ **rebellion**_ _and break the yoke of thy heart._

 _ **Thou**_ _hast awakened the ultimate secret of the_ _ **Temperance,**_ _granting thee infinite power..._

* * *

''Hey, good for them!'' Futaba exclaimed when Namine finished telling her about the event. ''Shiho's really something else, if she pulled this off then maybe I...''

''Futaba?'' Namine tilted her head. What was that about?

''Ah! Erm, forget I said anything.'' The girl said quickly, hugging Morgana, who was sitting in her lap and making him yelp. Explaining would mean delving into a subject she REALLY didn't want to bring up now.

''Hey, that's too much!'' The cat jumped away. ''...How is someone so scrawny that tough?''

Futaba gave him a flat look ''Maybe you're just wimpy.''

''No, I'm not.'' Morgana retorted at once, particularly irked since this wasn't the first time it happened. ''You treat me like some kind of doll, it's annoying!''

''Okay, enough.'' Namine cut in when it looked like the girl was about to fire back, having been busy texting the others. ''Anyway, you two okay with going to Mementos tomorrow?''

''Sure am!'' The hacker replied, looking over the group chat then. ''Might as well get one visit in before your trip, huh?''

Morgana's mood was once again soured at that subject but he answered ''Yeah, sure. Let's make the most of this.''

''You say that but the look on your face...'' Futaba raised an eye.

''Yeah, Mona, is there something on your mind?'' Namine added.

''I was just thinking if we could explore around that new area even if a bit.'' The feline returned, looking away. The girl frowned a bit, not fully convinced. She knew him well enough by now to wonder if there was more to this answer.

''Oh, you think it might help you remember something?'' Futaba guessed. When the two looked at her, she added. ''Well, you guys said there's more to that place than it appears, right? Maybe there's another way around it besides getting recognition. With how he knows so much about Personas, Mona could have been in one of the parts of Mementos before losing his memory.''

The feline blinked, surprised as Namine looked at him ''You know, she might be on to something...''

''Could be, that might have to do with why it felt so important to reach the lower levels...but man, if that's true, I just have even more questions now.'' Morgana slumped a bit.

''Ah, it's okay. You'll figure it out.'' She patted his head.

''I hope so...''

* * *

Later that night, Morgana had another strange dream. There was a vague flash of himself with a figure he couldn't make out in a strange area. But then it quickly faded away and a shadow passed over him, revealing the same yellow eyed doppelganger of his Metaverse form which he had seen in the dream a couple of weeks back. The area around them faded into what looked like Mementos.

The feline thief himself was in said form and the two stood before each other as if they were reflections of one another.

Morgana woke up with a start, shaken by the visions. ''What was that about...? That thing...it couldn't be me...no way! Why am I seeing it...?''

He was surprised to find himself on the couch but then he remembered how the conversation from last night left him pensive and as a result he couldn't even bring himself to sleep. It was then that he registered the soft, beige jacket over him, recognizing it as Namine's.

Ah, come to think of it, the girl must be on her way to school, if not already there. After a moment of thought, the feline jumped out of the attic's window and smoothly got down, deciding that he may as well try to catch up to her.

* * *

As luck would have it, she wasn't too far away. Though surprised to see him, Namine opened her bag and waited for him to come in like usual.

''So you okay? You were acting a little strange yesterday.'' The girl remarked.

''Just thinking about stuff, don't worry about it.'' He waved off.

Namine spoke up again when they made their way to the train ''You wanted to go to the trip too, huh?''

Morgana stiffened ''N-no, I didn't! Where'd you get that idea?''

''I saw how you reacted when those boys we passed earlier talked about their plans.''

''W-well, that's...''

''Even if you don't, Mona, it's never nice to be left behind.'' Namine continued. ''Sorry, I'd take you along if I could.''

Now that one made him feel bad ''I know...you shouldn't be sorry. It can't be helped...The fact that I might be stuck with Futaba with no one to reign her in is worrying though.''

The girl laughed a bit ''Don't be so harsh, I know she goes overboard but she doesn't mean harm. Besides, Boss likes cats. I can ask him to keep an eye out for you while we're there. That should be fine, right?''

''Yeah...'' Morgana was relieved. ''...the Chief's totally reliable, so it'll be just be fine.''

* * *

School let out early for their classes because of their teachers heading to a meeting. Namine, Ann, Ryuji and Morgana went to the underground mall to get the things they missed for the trip. It was as they were finishing up that the group ran into Akechi and they exchanged greetings.

The detective raised an eye when he saw the bags Ryuji had ''Ah, so you're all preparing for your school's trip then?'' At the boy's surprised look, he explained. ''It was just a guess, our school is taking my class to New York.''

''Oh...'' Come to think of it, Kosei was taking students to Los Angeles so maybe it was just usual to have a trip around this time for some schools...

''Though if you don't mind me asking, isn't that a little much, Sakamoto-kun?'' Akechi added, glancing at the bags he was holding.

''Hey, don't get the wrong idea, Ann made me carry her stuff!''

''Which happens to be one bag.'' The girl put in without missing a beat. ''Last I checked, I'm treating you for it too. I've got to check that everything's ready for the shoot. Besides, you did get too much stuff.''

''Says you! I know what I'm doing.''

''Sure, whatever you say.'' She rolled her eyes. ''Anyway, we just took the chance to wrap things up early since some of our teachers have this big meeting today. But I guess you're busy with work, Akechi-kun?''

''Mmhm, the school lets me off for work so long as I maintain my grades.'' He replied. ''So would I be correct in assuming that you want to make the most of this opportunity thus you get things you think should be useful-even if they seem excessive, Sakamoto-kun?''

Ryuji's surprised look spoke volumes and Namine figured it was as good as answer ''You can tell just like that?''

''It's simple, really.'' The brunet stopped, remembering something then. ''Ah, I did promise to teach you about deductions. We can find a little example here. It's mostly about observations, really. Let's start with that lady over there.'' He gestured discreetly to a woman who was near the cashier at one of the stores. She seemed particularly fidgety and terse but curiously, she was looking around for something. ''It looks to me as if she's in a hurry and possibly even late for something. By her clothes, she appears to be a businesswoman, so it's could be related to work. Going by how nervous she appears, even her being here now is important, she's clearly missing something among what she bought but she's having trouble finding it. It's as if she's stuck between a rock and a hard place.''

After looking it over like that, Namine had to agree. The woman really did seem at a loss of what to do. If anything she looked like she really wanted to get out of there but couldn't at the same time...

They watched as the woman answered her phone a moment later. It was too far for them to hear what she was saying but soon an expression of great relief settled on her face as she smiled and began making her to one of the exits. That was why she was heard thanking the person on the other end and stating that they had really come through for her, apparently having found the one item she hadn't been able to find.

''Whoa, dude...'' Ryuji blinked. ''...you were right! You picked up on all of that just by looking at her?''

Akechi chuckled ''It's something I learned from work. There are those minor details that hardly anyone pays to, unconscious signs that they don't even realize they give away. But if you look at them from different angles, you can find all sorts of information. I think that applies to many aspects of life though. Observation is key.''

''I guess it just goes to prove his skill.'' Morgana remarked.

Namine nodded ''...Hey, come to think of it, that reminds me of what Yusuke said about his art when he just went about to find inspiration...''

''I can see why. Going back to my point, such a thing may seem small but it would really come in handy.'' Akechi stated.

''I don't think it's small, that's amazing. I can see why it'd be handy for you guys.'' Ann happened to glance at a clock nearby. ''Oh...sorry, we've gotta go, Namine's helping me get ready for the shoot.'' Between getting home, resting up a little and preparations, it would be time.

''You're a little too worried but if you say so...I'll probably meet you there.'' Ryuji said after a moment. At Ann's expression, he added. ''What, I can't come to this shoot? I went with you before.'' What he didn't say that it was partly because Makoto had given him the USB Futaba wanted her to use this morning and asked him to pass it on to the girl.

''Ah, yeah...'' She blinked, he had on a couple of times since she had really devoted herself to her work. ''...you just surprised me. Sure, it'll be fine.''

Namine looked amused ''Well, thanks for the lesson, Akechi-kun.''

He smiled ''Of course, I did suggest it after all. Good bye.''

Ryuji glanced at his retreating figure. ''I gotta say, I really didn't think he was serious about that offer. The way he talked back then, I figured it was more of a joke.''

''I can't blame you.'' Morgana had similar sentiments about the idea. ''But it's a good offer, a skill like that would be useful.''

''True,'' Ann hummed in agreement. ''Anyway, come on, we've got a busy day ahead!''

* * *

As planned, the girls finished in time and headed to the location of the shoot. There, the three spotted something odd.

Mika, with her head bowed and her expression one of shame as one of the agency employees talked to her, apparently scolding.

''And don't pull a stunt like that again, Okay?'' An agency employee demanded.

Mika looked down ''Okay, I won't...''

''What's going on here?'' Ann inquired.

''Well...oh, you were a victim too. Is it okay if I tell her, Mika-chan?''

''Yeah...''

''Do you remember a while back when a bunch of models weren't showing for our shoots?'' The employee asked.

Ann blinked ''Sure.''

''Well, apparently Mika-chan was posing as our agency and telling them the shoot locations changed.''

''What?!'' The girls exclaimed, it had been Mika behind it all along? But why?

''We heard rumors that it was her but we thought they were out of jealousy. I mean, those shoots she filled in really boosted her popularity.'' The man admitted. ''Anyway, I asked her about it today and all she had to say was I'm sorry.''

''What I did was really terrible. I caused so much trouble for everyone...'' Mika stated. ''...but I'm gonna start working even harder from now on, I promise...''

The employee sighed ''Anyway, let's get started. You're ready to go, right?''

Mika smiled ''Yeah!''

The man walked away and Ann spoke ''...You really did something that lame?''

Mika frowned ''What are you calling lame? This industry's overflowing with models. Without an in, your career will never get off the ground. Chances don't come to those who wait. You have to make your own luck if you want to succeed.''

''Talk about a switch...'' Morgana deadpanned. ''...she should have been an actress.''

Ann was inclined to agree ''You really are something...''

''It's your own fault for getting the boot. If you can't crawl your way up, you may as well go home.'' Mika smirked. ''And either way it's not like I'm not talented. I just needed my shot, and now I'm selling like crazy.''

''...You talk big but they still found out about your fake emails.'' Ann pointed out.

''Sure but all I had to do was offer a teensy apology. It would've been dumb to try and hide it from them.'' Mika shrugged. ''Anyway, they can't sack me now. I'm gonna get even more popular even it means being detested for my actions.''

Ann giggled ''You're just like the villains I used to admire when I was a kid. Beautiful, strong...and wicked. Honestly, I just can't bring myself to hate you.''

''Well, I don't have any trouble hating you.'' Mika retorted.

''Sorry, Mika but your hard work is only gonna get you second place. I'm gonna be the number one model.'' Ann returned. ''You might be more popular now but I'll take that spot from you fair and square.''

Mika smirked ''Hmm...All right then, I won't pull any more tricks. I'll beat you with my beauty...fair and square.''

''Sounds good to me!'' Ann winked.

Namine smiled, surprised at the change in their dynamics. Well, this was certainly progress. Earlier she never would've imagined they'd actually become rivals like this.

* * *

Everyone looked on as the shoot commenced, with Ann and Mika taking their places, beautiful and graceful as they posed per the photographer's instructions. Both went about with confidence that spoke of their experience and the hard work they put in this.

''Hey, Namine!''

She blinked and looked back to find Ryuji running over ''Oh, so they're already at it? How's Ann doing?''

''Great, see for yourself.'' She gestured at the girl, who was giving a lovely smile towards one of the cameras.

''Lady Ann's just amazing...'' Morgana trailed off.

''You've been saying since day one, y'know.'' Ryuji said flatly.

''Well, that's because it's still true. The fact that she just worked so hard and improved makes her even more wonderful.''

''Hey, isn't that Mika? Wow, she's even prettier in person.'' A spectator stated.

Another added ''It's Mika! Oh and Ann too! They're both so cute...!''

''What must they eat to have bodies like that? The world is so unfair...''

''They might have natural beauty but they've gotta be exercising to have those bods.''

''Wow, what a pose! Give me a few more, just like that!'' The cameraman exclaimed.

''Something changed in Ann-chan, huh?'' An employee mused.

''Yeah, she's really amped up the sexiness. Maybe she's gained some confidence?''

''Whatever it is, she should keep it up. She's looking great!''

Namine and Ryuji smiled at these words, being just proof of how their friend's work was paying off.

''Good for her.'' The first stated, thinking that Shiho was not the only one who made big strides lately. Ann had really turned things around in work and things just kept looking up for her.

Ryuji would easily admit that Ann was good looking and he was just one of many to think so but something truly had changed about her recently. As if she had come into her own, everything about her was more vibrant, she was totally in her element over there. That confident, bright and happy expression was amazing...

''Ryuji?'' Namine blinked, noting the boy's odd expression. She glanced back at the continuing shoot and then to him, raising an eye as she realized he was watching Ann.

Morgana smirked ''Namine, I think someone's finally realizing Lady Ann's charms.''

That snapped him out of his thoughts and he quickly managed ''I am not! Ann's just...Ann, you idiot. What charm? What the heck are you on about?''

''You know, that would be more convincing if you weren't blushing, Ryuji.'' Namine teased, Morgana snickered at that. At his disbelieving expression, she used her phone's mirror application on him, proving herself correct.

''I-it's just because the cat said that weird stuff!'' He said quickly, looking away.

''Whatever you say.'' Morgana purred, ignoring that.

''Ah, come on, don't be like that. There's nothing wrong about admitting it, Ann's amazing. And right now, everyone agrees.'' Namine said simply.

''True but still...'' He trailed off. That wasn't the point, he didn't see the model that way...at least he thought so. ''...anyway, this ain't about me. Now drop it, both of you!''

Namine half-smiled ''Okay, okay, we'll leave it alone.''

* * *

''Hey, glad you could make it after all!'' Ann told Ryuji when she joined her friends after they were given a break. ''So how was I?''

''Gorgeous, Lady Ann!'' Morgana declared.

''Yeah, you were shining out there. Everyone was praising you.'' Namine answered.

''Pretty good, you looked like you were having a blast out there.'' Ryuji added.

She laughed a bit ''Thanks! I wanted to work extra hard with you guys there. I know I said I wanted to be the number one model but I'm okay with that not happening yet. For now, I just want to keep improving one step at a time. Then someday down the line, I'll be able to look at myself with pride. Hopefully people will see that confidence and draw from it. I'm gonna be a ray of light for the people of the planet...the way you guys and the rest of our friends are for me.''

Namine smiled warmly ''You can do it, Ann. We'll be there for you.''

She beamed ''Yeah! Forever, okay?''

Ryuji chuckled ''Hey, you're one of us, that won't change. Our crew sticks together.''

''Haha, sounds great!''

* * *

When Ann was told to get ready as they were about to resume, Ann told them to just give her a minute before she took Namine for a little private talk...

''You know, I really wanna thank you...but I don't think it'll be ever enough...'' She started, surprising the girl. ''...it's because of you that things worked out so well. At first, with how my parents traveled so much, it was lonely but back then I thought I'd be fine. Then when we came back here, I met Shiho and she showed how important personal relationships really are. They're something to be treasured, that's why she's my best friend. Yesterday really showed me that I have nothing to worry about when it comes to Shiho, she's so strong. If it hadn't been for you, it might not have ever happened, Namine. You helped her, me and Ryuji...and so many others, despite everything...''

''Ah, hold on...'' The girl was getting embarrassed. ''...I think you're exaggerating. It's like I told you guys before-I wouldn't have been able to live with myself if I had just stayed down. Anybody could have done that kind of thing-it just wound up being me. Having you guys as friends makes me really happy so it's all worth it and more. Like you said yesterday, we have to all remember to stand up for what's right and be strong. Well, I think you're doing a great job there.''

Ann smiled ''Thanks! I've made up my mind. I'm not going to run away-I'll face myself head on. But I'm still kinda worried...can you help me, Namine?''

''Of course.''

Her smile widened ''You can lean on me too, if you need it...I'm so glad I met you...''

''Right back at you. I'm glad we're friends.''

''Same! That won't ever change.''

Namine beamed ''Definitely!''

 _I am_ _ **thou, thou**_ _art I..._

 _Thou has turned a_ _ **vow**_ _into a blood oath._

 _Thy bond shall become the wings of_ _ **rebellion**_ _and break the yoke of thy heart._

 _ **Thou**_ _hast awakened the ultimate secret of the_ _ **Lovers,**_ _granting thee infinite power..._

* * *

 _And we're done!_

 _I hope it was good. I've been trying to plan things for my stories in general and while I'm having some trouble, I'm working through it. I have to admit, Shiho's confidant has been kind of a shot in the dark but I'm really glad I could make it work. I'm happy with how it turned out. I wasn't sure but somehow she seems to fit right in. And given how close she is with Ann, I thought I could fit it with hers too._

 _I know they hardly ever show up after Ryuji's confidant but I wanted to show proof of how the members of the track team really are changing for the better with Nakaoka. No idea if they actually know each other in canon but in my story they met in passing. I know the scene where Shiho goes back to visit Shujin was in the anime but I can't remember if it was in the game, either way, I thought it would be really good for the confidant. There's a couple of ideas that I got from what I learned about P5R, which I'm probably going to use but other than that, I can't be sure. If I do work the new characters in the story, it won't be like in the game. Nothing against the game but after this long I really don't think I can make it work here. The third semester thing gave me a certain plot point but it's something far ahead so maybe I might use it but it depends on how things pan out. At this point, I'm just focusing on the arc in general and hoping for the best._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_


	47. Chapter 47

_Vangran: Haha, I'm glad you seemed to have enjoyed yourself. And yeah, I wanted one person to focus on the full scope of the situation and not just on fame. Since Namine could care less about that, it all works out._

 _Vent-Zxa: That's nice to hear. I'm going to do my best to keep the story going. There's just a couple of issues that I'm trying to work out but it should be fine. I did consider having Shiho discover the truth but I just couldn't fit that in. I might find a different way in the future._

 _HollowXIII: Well, to be honest, at first I didn't think about it. My main motivations for changing the Temperance arcana was that I wanted to involve Shiho some more in the story and that I really didn't feel like I could use the canon route well. But when I kept working on it, I wondered what impact the arcana would have on the story. I figure it could be something to support the Thieves but I can't say how for sure. I haven't planned things out that much in the future, so the outcome depends on how I can work things out down the line._

 _Miss FortuneX: I never considered having a female version of Arsene. Actually, my introduction to the Persona series was Persona 5. I only got to play Persona 3 much later so yeah, I didn't even know there was such a thing until I saw the game. By the time I did find out, I got the story to over thirty chapters, so I didn't see any point in changing things._

* * *

The Phantom Thieves were on their way to Mementos as agreed earlier, all were going to meet near the station and carefully head over from there...

''So I had a look at the data...'' Futaba began, drawing everyone's attention. ''...there's a whole lot of stuff. There's all sorts of details over the last two years. But since it's so big, it'll take me some time to analyze the whole thing. I'll probably be done by the time you guys get back from Hawaii, though.''

''I see...so what can you tell us about it?'' Makoto wanted to know. She was curious about what information her sister had in store, an overview would do just fine for now.

''Well, it's actually kind of impressive. Your sister's work sure is comprehensive. It all proved that the mental shutdowns and psychotic breakdowns are not only connected but they're also done by the same person. She's even got a compilation of all sorts of related info and a list of all the incidents.''

''Heeh, that really is something.'' Morgana blinked. ''It sounds like this can really help us out.''

Futaba hummed in agreement ''I'll get busy to figure it all out so leave it to me. I expect presents when you get back.''

''That's a given, you dork.'' Ann smiled and Namine nodded, making the hacker beam in response.

Morgana sighed, still hating that he was going to be left behind. Though this made him remember something ''Hold on, about that...what're you going to do, Makoto? Isn't it a trip for second years?''

The girl blinked ''Oh, I forgot to explain-I'll be coming as well. It was decided yesterday, they don't have enough chaperones with all that's going on in school so the third year students have been slated to fill in instead.''

''Wait, for real?'' Ryuji blurted.

Makoto gave him a look ''Do you have a problem?''

''N-no, not at all, Ma'am!''

''Is something going on in your school?'' Yusuke wanted to know.

''I think it's just that they're still dealing with all the gossip over Shujin ever since the truth about Kamoshida became clear.'' Makoto offered.

''It doesn't help that the principal just kept pretending everything was all right and burying his head in the sand.'' Ann huffed.

Even when it turned out students were getting tricked into serving Kaneshiro, he hadn't cared. That still ticked her off. Heck, his entire focus was on figuring out who the Phantom Thieves were and even then, he had just forced Makoto to do something instead.

''That too.'' The brunette nodded to the blonde's words.

''Anywho, you're going to L.A, right, Inari? Make sure you take lots of pictures!'' Futaba said.

The artist had no problem with the demand ''Of course. That was my intention.''

Namine smiled ''Well, since we got this chance, let's keep trying to make the most of it.''

''Yeah!'' Ann agreed.

''Sounds good.'' Ryuji nodded. ''So hey, what're you going to do, Morgana? You staying with Boss? With how Futaba sometimes treats you like a stuffed doll...''

''That was the plan.'' The cat tuned out Futaba's protest.

''I'm not that bad...'' She pouted, Ryuji rolled his eyes before he proceeded to activate the Nav.

* * *

It wasn't long before they ran into a few shadows, two Anzu and two Lamia. As everyone prepared to fight, Panther smirked ''I'll start us off. Persona!''

Then, to everyone's surprise, instead of Carmen, a new figure came out of the blue flames. It was also a woman but this one was taller than Carmen. Clad in black and red, the new persona had curved horns with three pairs of eyes and a flowing cape. She held two dogs in chains.

''Whoa, what-?!'' Skull stared.

Fox's eyes widened ''Is that...?''

Panther's smirk widened ''I knew it! Come on, Hecate, Maragion!''

The new persona waved a hand and in a second, four towers of fire hit the shadows at once. It eliminated one of the Lamia at once while leaving the other dazed, something Queen took advantage to run it over with Johanna. Mona knocked one of the Anzu out of the air with the help of his slingshot, leaving Joker and Skull to take it down.

On Panther's command, Hecate created a large fireball which she hurled at the last shadow, finishing it off.

''Panther, that was great!'' Oracle exclaimed. She'd only heard of this before so seeing this was really something. ''So you got one of those Ultimate Personas too?''

''Yup!'' She smiled. ''What Skull told me about Seiten Taisei had me wondering-and yesterday, it felt like something really changed with me.''

''If all what you've been doing recently isn't enough to show, that was the visual proof. Well done.'' Queen praised.

Joker smiled ''Yeah, way to go, that's excellent news.''

''Indeed, that was an impressive showing.'' Fox added.

Skull was smirking ''Totally! So how's it feel?''

''It's just like you said, this feels amazing.'' The blonde returned with a smile. ''I'm not sure if I've grown all that much but it really feels like I've come a long way.''

''Even if we may not notice, we've all changed and grown during over time. It's really hard for that not to happen, given our experiences. Look at it this way, would you have seen yourself pulling all the stuff you did off before we all became friends, Panther?'' Joker inquired.

She blinked ''When you put it like that...no.'' The model began to laugh. ''I guess it just goes to show...we really have come a long way since the team first got together, huh?''

''Yeah, I mean look at you, you've really grown strong and became a much more amazing model now. You even settled your feelings with all the trouble in school and helped Shiho-chan do the same. And Skull worked hard to help the track team, even with how they treated him and he made sure to do what's best for everyone in the end, even if it may have been hard. That definitely shows how you two have grown, and how strong your hearts are now.''

The two blonds smiled at Joker in thanks for the words. Queen inclined her head ''I agree. Even if they may be small, we're all working hard to keep moving forward. That effort will surely off in the end.''

''Heck yeah, and we'll just keep going!'' Skull cheered.

Fox nodded, looking pleased ''I like the sound of that.''

''Me too!'' Oracle chirped.

Joker smiled to herself, glad to see the happy mood with them all.

''Growing stronger, huh?''

She blinked and looked for the source of the voice, finding Mona standing a short distance away, seeming a little melancholy. ''Yeah, all of them changed so much...I wonder where that leaves me. After all, I'm still...''

Joker's brow furrowed, where was this coming from. ''Mona...?''

The feline almost jumped, apparently not realizing anyone heard him ''Oh, ah...just thinking aloud. Forget you heard that!''

Mona hurried on before the girl could stop him, leaving her troubled as she watched him urge the others to keep going. He had been acting a little strange lately, but perhaps what troubled him wasn't just the trip like it appeared at the time.

As she walked to the newly appeared van, Joker made a note to try and check up on him and talk things later. While she knew perfectly well that Mona tended to keep things to himself, perhaps she might be able to help somehow...

* * *

The group fought more shadows and kept going through the tunnels, eventually reaching the newly opened area. Oracle had scanned the area and found that their target was in a part not too far away.

First, they arrived at one of the floors that had no shadows, pausing for a little break.

Their current target was an apparently bitter actress named Murasame Hinoka. She had been having trouble finding a gig, having been dismissed or passed over a few times in succession. She had come across a director she worked with in the past and decided to threaten him into hiring her, or else she would make their lives hell. Hinoka had taken to proving her threat real on a member of the director's crew that had tried to stop her. But she had been discreet and apparently she had a lot of connections, so they couldn't pin anything on her.

No one was quite sure who sent in the request on the Phan-Site but either way, it didn't matter. They were clearly desperate to do end all this for good.

Thinking along those lines had Oracle wondering ''Say...so you guys changed the hearts of people like that horrible teacher and that yakuza boss...what about people like the creep who got Joker arrested?''

''We did consider that...'' Mona started.

''Except Joker can't remember who it is.'' Skull finished.

''About that...'' The two looked at Joker in surprise.

Queen looked bewildered as she noted her tone ''Wait, Joker don't tell me...''

''...you remembered?! When?'' Skull demanded.

''Over a week ago, actually.''

''Why didn't you tell us before?''

''I meant to...it's just-I was confused before...''

But Mona had a feeling he knew why ''Wait a second, that's what happened to you that night, isn't it? That's why you almost blacked out!''

Joker nodded before and Mona filled the others in. Panther nodded in understanding ''Oh, so it was right after Suwabe's psychotic breakdown. Yeah, I'd be pretty distracted too if it were me. A whole bunch of stuff happened since.''

''Yeah...'' Joker paused. ''...I really couldn't make sense of it for a long time...what happened after we left the Wilton Hotel. I guess...remembering all that was even harder than I imagined. But I get why now, I've seen him before. It's Masayoshi Shido.''

Queen's eyes widened ''Wait, you mean that Diet party member everyone's been talking about lately?''

''Hey, we saw the guy back then...he was the one leading that bunch of snobs!'' Skull recalled.

''Yeah and looking back, I remember Joker freezing up back then...'' Panther trailed off, looking just as alarmed.

''So you recognized his voice then?'' Fox clarified.

''Mm, but I couldn't be sure...it just sort of hit me that night.''

Oracle's jaw set ''Well then, I'll see what I can dig up about this guy.''

''This is certainly something we should see about.'' Queen crossed her arms. ''The news say he's an outstanding member of society but we know enough to doubt such a thing now.''

''Yeah, that's the same kind of crap they said about people like Madarame and look what he was really like.'' Skull agreed.

Panther nodded ''We're not letting things stand like this.''

''You said it!'' Her fellow blond added.

''Well, looks like we might have found a possible target.'' Mona smirked.

Fox half-smiled at Joker's surprised look ''Come now, you know us this well. Did you really expect a different reaction, Joker?''

She began to smile, feeling touched that they all rallied on her behalf ''...Yeah, I should've known...''

* * *

The thieves approached the gate and were warped to the target's chamber...

The first clear thing about Shadow Hinoka was that she seemed angry. Her stance proved to be terse and she appeared to be trying to brace herself for anything.

Panther's eyes narrowed ''So that's our target...''

''A washed up actress who likes forcing herself on people to get her way, it's ridiculous...'' Mona scoffed.

''Yes, she has no right to threaten or endanger those poor people simply for trying to do their job.'' Queen scowled.

''She already got one of them real hurt, if this keeps up, there's no telling what would happen.'' Skull stated.

''Then let's go.''

''They can't find out...they won't! I'm taking my chance and I won't let those bastards stop me. No one will find out!'' The shadow looked up as they walked closer. ''Y-you're...''

''I think someone may have a guilty conscience.'' Panther said flatly.

Shadow Hinoka bristled ''Sh-shut up! What do you know? I'm so damn tired of being passed up and ignored, well, I won't have it anymore! What's wrong with taking my chance?!''

''You could have kept working and tried to improve, to see what was holding you back. Not this!'' Queen retorted.

''Yeah, you're just running away from the problem. This won't solve a thing, not really.'' Joker added.

''You're all wrong! Things are finally going my way after so long! And I'll make sure they stay that way!''

''Oh, get over yourself! You're like a kid throwing a temper tantrum!'' Skull snapped.

''Shut up!'' The shadow growled. ''You're all just here because that idiot of a director and his buddies decided to defy me-I won't allow it! Those fools don't know talent when they see it. I'll make them all pay for this!''

''Yeah? Well, you're gonna have to get through all of us first!'' The blond taunted.

''That's the plan!'' In a moment, the shadow transformed into a big Garuda, which let out a powerful cry as it swooped into to strike.

Oracle, who had stayed a fair distance back, immediately began to analyze the enemy while seeing how her friends got out of its way. The Garuda flapped its wings, creating a strong gale as it cast wind magic on all the group. Since Fox had been too close, it almost threw him off but he managed to regain his balance and halt it with a wall of ice that blocked the rising gales.

Skull and Panther went on the offensive, with the latter trying to nail the shadow with her gun but it flew off. It still worked as distraction, as Skull was able to have Seiten Taisei ram the shadow with a few Swift Strikes.

''That thing's strong against physical strikes, ice and curse magic but everything is else is fine!'' Oracle informed.

''In that case-Johanna!'' Queen summoned her persona to blast it with a nuclear spell, only for it to fly high just before she could finish.

Joker aimed her gun well before firing, at first, the shadow seemed to avoid the oncoming bullets but she was left unprepared when Joker quickly adjusted her weapon and fired again. This time it was a direct hit, almost knocking the shadow out of the air. Fox cast Masukakaja to boost their speed, but then the shadow was surroudned in a blue aura as it stored power before casting Magarula.

The powered up spell almost threw those closest to the shadow back, allowing her a chance to strike. Queen acted in a moment ''Johanna, Freila!''

The Garuda tried to fly away but then the spell exploded, leaving her to be hit by the shock waves. Panther summoned Hecate and had her blast their enemy with an Agilao spell next, knocking it back and giving Fox the chance to finish it off with a few bullets.

In a moment, their enemy turned back to the human form, now downtrodden...

''I didn't know what to do...'' She admitted. ''...I lost money in a bad deal and then there was that horrible date...It's just like things kept going worse and worse. I couldn't take anymore! What could have I done?''

''Anything, you were just limiting yourself because you thought you had to do this. I don't know how you got out scot-free after you got that crew member so hurt but don't you see how those actions could have made things even worse for you?'' Fox crossed his arms.

''Was it worth it?'' Mona demanded.

The shadow sighed ''...No...no, it wasn't...''

''You easily pulled out of any trouble with your status and connections-you could have used such means to find the problem costing you those acting gigs. But you just went so far to avoid this. Taking the easy way is never the answer.'' Queen stated.

''Yeah, I know...I'll do something about it. No more-I'll make it up to them all.'' With that, the shadow faded into light.

* * *

Makoto spoke up once they were walking down a street ''We decided our stance on the matter of Shido but Namine, what do you think of all this? If we do find ourselves targeting him...''

''I'm with you all. I want to find out more...but I'm a little lost, part of me doesn't see the point in having him confess to the truth about that night and another part wants to get back at him.'' She admitted, seeming a bit uncomfortable at admitting this.

''I think that's natural though, anyone would want to get back at someone who wronged them.'' Makoto stated.

''Yeah, I say the bastard has it coming, he practically ruined her life.'' Ryuji scowled. Needless to say, it irked them all that the man got away with what he did and Namine had to suffer for it. And given the record she was stuck with, the odds of the police believing her if she told the truth were slim to none.

Namine wasn't sure why she felt this way. Maybe because she didn't feel that using their powers simply for personal gain was right? It hadn't been something she'd really thought about until recently, given all that happened around the same time. ''Well, we still have to go about this carefully, we always have to take our work seriously.''

''Well said.'' Morgana said approvingly. ''We do need to learn more about him to find out if he has a Palace anyway, so let's do this the right way.'' The rest nodded back in return.

Yusuke decided to move things along ''By the way, I wasn't quite certain about what you all said regarding my art but I did try to take your advice. It wasn't until then that I realized how much stress I've had piled on me. I've tried to focus on other things, like getting used to my part-time job.''

''Really? Good for you! How's that going?'' Ann wanted to know.

''Oh quite well, I'm busy but I'm managing it all. I was even able to use my payment to buy a few excellent art supplies. It may have cost me all the money, but they were of excellent quality.''

Ryuji held back a groan while the rest were just exasperated ''Dammit, Yusuke...''

''You have to be careful with your money.'' Makoto chided.

''But I needed those supplies...''

''That's not the point!''

''Somethings never change, I guess.'' Namine muttered.

''I'll say. It's like three steps forward, two back with him or something...'' Ann grumbled.

''You really are an airhead, Inari.'' Futaba deadpanned, ignoring his annoyed look in return.

Namine exhaled ''Well, progress is progress, right?''

''Yes, I think that's the best that can be said here.'' Makoto stated.

Thus, with the agreement to continue after most of the group returned from their trips, everyone went on their ways home.

* * *

Namine made sure to ask Sojiro to take care of Morgana while she was gone, only to be relieved when he assured that it wouldn't be a problem.

''Oh yeah, Futaba said something about that new laptop of yours. Looks like she's had her fun trying it out, sounds like she's gotten you a couple of programs which she thinks will be good.''

Namine was curious, Futaba's security program on their phones had actually provided a measure of relief for everyone as they all agreed it was a great idea. What did she have in mind now?

''Thanks Boss, I think I'll talk to her about this.''

* * *

As it so happened, the girl in question was up in the attic with Morgana, working with Namine's laptop. ''Man, this thing's got some nice specs...''

''Someone's real fired up...'' Morgana turned slightly at the sound of footsteps in time to see Namine walking in. ''...oh, hey, Futaba's been busy again. I'm not sure about the technical talk she used but I think she got a program like the one that let us talk to your grandparents before.''

''Really?'' Namine tilted her head. Well, she had been meaning to send them an email but this sounded like something worth a try. ''Can we test this out, Futaba?''

''Sure!''

The three sat on the bed and fired the program. While at first, it didn't seem to work, all doubts were dispelled when the screen suddenly changed to display Yuri and Itsuki, both sitting in a room as well, with the latter having a laptop near him. His face lit up as he took in the new sight and they quickly exchanged greetings.

Itsuki looked at Futaba ''Oh, I'm guessing this is Futaba-chan?''

Namine blinked ''Grandpa, did Boss tell you...?''

''Sure did. We made sure to get all the details, you can guess how happy we were with him when it all became clear.'' He stated. ''We knew he was hiding something with how he started acting strange but the idiot just kept brushing us off. That's why I'm happy to say I let him have it.''

''Somehow that doesn't surprise me...''

Yuri held back a laugh at the comment ''And how are you, Futaba-chan?''

''A-ah, I'm fine, Ma'am...'' Futaba trailed off. She was still trying to deal with her anxiety but it also meant she was still bad with new people. Something she hoped to change down the line.

Yuri smiled warmly ''Oh, none of that now.'' That expression reminded the orange haired girl of how Namine took after her grandmother. ''You really are cute. We would have loved to get to know you before but there's no reason we can't start now.''

''Absolutely.'' Itsuki agreed.

''Just take it easy, those two really are good people.'' Morgana offered.

''Sojiro was telling us how you're a genius just like your mom.'' Itsuki recalled.

''W-what?'' Futaba's face grew warm. ''Now that's definitely too much! I mean, sure I wanna be like her but still...''

''Then there's no reason you can't be! Shouldn't the fact that you learned so much from her already be a nice starting point?''

''Oh...well, I guess...but I still keep freezing up around people...''

''It's okay.'' Namine spoke up when she went quiet. ''We're going to figure out a way to help with your anxiety. But it still doesn't make him any less right, what you've shown us so far says a lot.''

''Hey, you're trying, aren't you? I think that's pretty good on its own.'' Morgana admitted.

Futaba began to smile at the reassuring words, noticing Yuri turn to her granddaughter ''Speaking of, we heard how you handled things too, Nami-chan. That was very kind of you.'' She was especially pleased with the fact that their granddaughter didn't let her experiences get to her and remained true to herself.

''Aw, thanks! I just did what I thought was right, I kind of figured you guys would've done it too.''

''Got that right, kiddo.'' Itsuki said at once. ''Though I wouldn't have been nearly as nice, seeing as I would've wanted to kick Sojiro's butt into gear.'' He knew that the situation was complicated but Sojiro really wasn't helping with the way he handled things, he wound up enabling Futaba's troubling habits.

The three thieves couldn't help but laugh at his comment, making him grin while Yuri shook her head in exasperation.

Snickering, Futaba noticed an odd looking statue on the table near the couple ''Say, what's that?''

''Oh, a little something we came across today. It's quite the amusing story...''

They kept chatting for a short while and Futaba relaxed, she was really seeing what Sojiro and her friends liked about them, they were not only nice but fun and lively.

''So your trip starts the day after tomorrow? That's great!'' Itsuki exclaimed. ''Be sure to let us know how it goes.''

''Of course.'' Namine returned. The girl faltered, remembering her talk with the others earlier.

She was generally open with her grandparents, feeling like she could always count on them. They had more than proven her faith to be well-founded, especially in the recent months. The girl had hesitated on telling them the truth about that night but it really wasn't fair to them.

''Nami-chan?''

The girl let out a breath ''...There's something you should know.''

* * *

Yuri and Itsuki were just as surprised as the others were by the information she gave. Though surprise quickly gave to anger and disgust as they realized just how much Shido's machinations cost their granddaughter.

''That lousy, no-good bastard...'' Itsuki harrumphed. ''...he's even worse than what I imagined.''

Now that left Futaba curious ''What do you mean?''

''Let's just say we happened to pick up on a few rumors here and there before we moved.'' Yuri offered. ''But let's talk about that another time. Nami-chan, what exactly did you do about this discovery?''

''Well...that's kind of what I was going to ask. If you have any idea on what I could do. I just talked to you guys and my friends before.'' She admitted. ''I really wasn't sure what I could do for a while...it just felt wrong to keep this from you two. I know it's something that needs to be handled with care.''

''That's good, and thank you for letting us know.'' Yuri returned, seeming thoughtful. ''I wish I could give you some advice but we need a little time to think this over.''

Itsuki nodded ''As good as it would be for him to have to come clean, he's got too much power. I really would like to hurt him for this but you make sure to keep a calm head, Namine. It's a good thing you've got temper like your grandma's and not mine's.''

''Well, it's not like having him pay would help, would it?'' She shook her head. ''Whatever happens after that...there's really no going back.''

Namine bit her lip before continuing ''...I'm sorry...'' They looked at her in surprise as she went on. ''...I don't know if I can look past the things they've said and done after that night. Especially Mom and Dad...'' She imagined how this would be hard on them, given that it involved their own child but at this point, she really didn't want to see her parents again. She knew that this was also the reason she was still torn about the revenge issue, even if the truth came out, it wouldn't erase what happened. She could never look at her parents, her old friends or her old home the same way again.

''Don't you dare go thinking you have to apologize for that, young lady.'' Itsuki said sternly. ''They made their beds and they have to lie in them. While I wish things would be different, that's all there is to it. We can deal with that later. Bottom line is, the way they treated you isn't something we can condone, ever.''

''That's right.'' Yuri agreed. Their family may have been divided over the matter but their stance on this was firm. They were really disappointed in Namine's mother and father. The fact that they still believed themselves right really irked her. ''The son we raised should know better than to turn on his own family for one thing. They failed you, Nami-chan, you shouldn't ever feel guilty for what happened back then. We don't regret standing by you and we never will.''

Her granddaughter couldn't help smiling at this ''...That means more than you know.''

Futaba grinned ''Wow, you were right, Namine. They're awesome!''

The girl smiled as she hummed in agreement while the couple laughed. Futaba looked at them ''So we were thinking, if we could find some info about that creep, we could post a request on the Phan-Site. The Phantom Thieves could take him on!''

Itsuki looked surprised ''The Phantom Thieves, huh? That idea does have merit...''

Namine blinked ''Come to think of it, I never got around to asking. Grandpa, Grandma, do you believe in the Phantom Thieves?''

''Sure, kiddo! Just look at all they've done now.'' The first returned.

Yuri nodded to her husband's words ''People can rag on them all they want but the fact is, they wouldn't have nearly been as succesful if they hadn't been necessary.''

''If anything, what happened to you, and all the things they unveiled just proved to us that they are trying to do some good out there. The system's corrupt and not everyone has the strength to stand against it. But instead of doing something about it, people bury their heads in the sand. That's why I think the thieves actually impressive.'' Itsuki added.

''Doing the right thing may not be easy at times but that's no reason to shy away from it. People with courage and conviction to stand up for what's right are rare, while they may not follow the best means, I can accept that their hearts are in the right place. They've certainly helped a lot of people, that shouldn't be ignored.'' Yuri stated. Both unknowingly made the three present thieves happier with those declarations.

''So they do understand...that's nice to hear.'' Morgana purred.

''We feel the same way.'' Namine stated.

''Yeah!'' Futaba chipped in. ''I know we can count on them.''

They kept talking for a little while longer before deciding to turn in for the night, all looking to rest well after a busy day.

* * *

 _And that's that!_

 _I hope it was good. I wanted to get a few things out of the way before I start the trip, which is going to be the next chapter. I'm actually past that point in my plot but I'm still trying to decide a few things before I get to them dealing with Okumura, let's just say I have a few things planned to lead to that. It's just proving more complicated than I realized._

 _There's another reason Namine isn't quite comfortable with the idea of revenge, but it's something that happened in the past so she hasn't realized it yet. It's just left an impression on her. I'm going to expand on that possibly soon, but she's mostly just focused on keeping the thieves' work for the right reasons. I also wanted to get a chance to have Futaba meet Yuri and Itsuki. I can't be sure if I mentioned this before, but when their trip's over, they're actually going to move back to the city and not their old home. While they would want to fix things, Namine's parents haven't exactly left them much chance to do so with their actions. Yuri and Itsuki would never condone them walking out on Namine, especially when she needed them most. Basically, they're pretty disillusioned with the people there in that town too, another reason they want to look out for Namine._

 _Anywho, another chapter done and just before the end of this year. We've had a good run even with my own concerns about this story (mostly because I never played the game) but I'm enjoying myself while working on this so I hope you're all enjoying it too. Thanks for reading._

 _Hope you have a happy new year!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_


	48. Chapter 48

_Vangran: Glad you like it. And I totally agree with you about Shido, it was pretty obvious that something was up there. That's why I wanted to get that point out in the open. I'm not about to have them go to the Palace earlier or anything, I know how dangerous that would be but now they'll just have reason to be wary of him._

 _Also, you made an excellent point about Goro. I really didn't think of that before but yeah, it's weird that the thieves didn't at least check his name in the Nav. I can't think of a reason they shouldn't have. I'm pretty sure they even run Sojiro's name on it at one point..._

 _EngineeredNeko: Sorry, but no. I did try adding the date when I first worked on the drafts of this story but keeping track of it just got old and I really didn't see the point after a while. But it's mainly because look how far the story's come, I don't feel like I can include it now._

* * *

The day of the trip came and before heading to the airport, Namine bid Futaba and Morgana goodbye, before coming down and doing the same with Sojiro and a couple of Leblanc's regulars who had been present at the time.

At the airport, the students began gathering around in groups and chatting among each other as they waited for the rest to arrive.

Ryuji spotted Namine and Ann, making to approach them but he almost bumped into a newly Gozaka in the process in the other boy's haste.

''Sorry about that, man.''

''Eh, no worries.'' Ryuji shrugged.

''So you three sure hang out a lot.'' The boy went on, glancing from him to Namine and Ann. ''You seeing one of them or somethin', Sakamoto?''

''What?!'' Ryuji gave him a weirded out look. ''What the hell, Gozaka? We're just friends!''

''Well, I'm just saying that they're both real pretty. Wouldn't be a surprise for them to catch anyone's eye.''

The ex-athlete had to agree with that one. But still, he didn't see either of them like that. Namine was his best friend-kind of like a sister or something and Ann...

He suddenly remembered the last photo shoot, remembering how beautiful she looked at the time.

Gozaka noted his changing expressions ''Ho, would you look at that?''

''Sh-shut up!''

''Heh, fine. You're off the hook now, Sakamoto.''

Ryuji gave him an annoyed look and went off, pausing when he noticed Nakaoka nearby. He might not want to rejoin the track team but he was still curious about how they were doing on that front. After a moment of thought, he decided to find out.

* * *

After the plane landed, they all went to the hotel chosen for them to stay in as planned. Many looked at the scenery in awe, admiring the area's beauty and feeling all the more excited to be here.

Ann smiled as she looked around the hotel's lobby ''Looks like a great place, huh?''

Namine nodded with a smile of her own, she made to speak when another voice cried

''Yes, we're here! Hawaiiiiiiii!''

Ann looked back, seeing Ryuji with Mishima behind them ''...Does he have to go so over the top?''

Mishima was thinking along similar lines ''A little much, don't you think?''

''Hell no, man! I'm happy and I wanna show it!'' Ryuji returned. ''Anyway, we've been I've been wonderin' since the airport but what is this smell?''

''Supposedly, the lingering scent of carpet cleaner. It's coconut scented.'' Mishima offered, noticing Makoto walking over. ''Plus I'd say the scent of plumerias are amplifying the tropical atmosphere here.''

''What're you, the king of random facts?!''

''I'm the type that likes to look up stuff beforehand.''

Ryuji looked intrigued ''Then tell me a cheap but good place to eat.''

''Do that after you figure out your room assignments! We can't go out until we get our key.'' Ann reminded.

''Yeah?'' He cocked his head. ''So who do I room with? One of you two?''

''No way.'' Ann returned, she already knew who she wanted for her roommate even before they came here. ''We already agreed that we're rooming together.''

''Yup, besides from what Makoto told us, people from different classes can't room together. Right?'' Namine directed the question at the girl.

Makoto nodded ''It's just to keep things organized.''

''Fine, guess I'll have to go ask someone...'' Ryuji trailed off.

Namine had a thought ''Ah, Makoto. All the third years came, right?'' At the girl's curious look, she added. ''I met a girl who might be in your class but I never actually remembered to ask. I know for a fact that she's a third year in Shujin though.''

''Oh, I see. What's her name? I can check if she is here.''

The girl perked up ''That'd be great! It's...''

* * *

Haru looked around the hall, wondering why she was called to come here then. Just as she decided to find Makoto, a pair of hands came over her eyes.

''Guess who?''

She smiled at the voice and turned around, gently pushing the hands to reveal Namine. ''Nami-chan! I was hoping I'd find you.''

Namine beamed ''Well, Makoto helped me make sure you did come. Never thought you were in the same class though.''

Haru looked curious ''So you actually know Nijima-san?''

''Oh yeah, we're good friends. Actually, since we're both here, how about I introduce you to her and my other friends?''

''That sounds nice.''

* * *

While admittedly surprised at the turnout, the others welcomed Haru to join them. The group decided to head to the beach first, intent on trying out as many things as they could while they were here. Since Haru and Makoto had to be chaperones for a while, Namine, Ann and Ryuji agreed to wait around for them to finish their turn before getting started on any plans. They had just sat down after swimming for a little break and started to talk...

''Haru seems really nice.'' Ann remarked.

''Oh yeah, she is.'' Namine returned. ''We met by chance before but we wound up hanging out a bunch, she's a lot of fun too.''

''So what's that like? I mean with someone like her...'' Ryuji started. He could only imagine what a girl like the heiress of Okumura Foods does enjoyed in her spare time.

''This is about her family's money, right?'' Namine guessed correctly. ''We just went to hang out, it's hardly any different from what any of us do. I don't see why that money would chance anything about that. She's more interested about experiencing things on her own. Haru's not exactly one to flaunt her wealth around or anything.''

''Cool. So what do you wanna do after the girls wrap things up?''

''Well, I looked up some info about this place and there are some really nice spots we should check out.'' Ann stated. ''That money we put together sure comes in handy now.''

By that, she was referring to the money they had gotten with their work in Mementos. Shadows tended to have some more often than not, Namine and Makoto had taken to keeping a close eye on it for quite some time now. It had become something of a sharing thing where most of them would put in a little money every now and then. Because of that care, they had been able to gather a portion to use for the trip.

In the spirit of keeping things fair, they'd also given Yusuke his own share. Makoto had waited for the day before they had to leave to hand it over though, to some surprise. Though Ryuji put it best when he said that given the artist's usual habits, the money would likely be gone in days. No one was about to argue with that.

A short while later when Makoto and Haru joined them, Ryuji spotted an ice cream shop and urged the group to try some. When he noticed Mishima along the way, he and Namine invited him to join them and he happily did so.

''Wait, you came here before?'' Ann blinked.

Haru nodded ''It's like I told Nami-chan the other day, it was more of a business thing with my father.''

''I see. By the way, you two must certainly get along, Okumura-san. Last time I checked, only Namine's grandparents address her like you do.'' Makoto remarked.

Haru laughed a bit sheepishly ''Well, we do but...I wound up calling Nami-chan that way once by accident and she said it was all right. It just became a habit ever since.''

''So what was the last time like?'' Mishima asked.

''Oh, compared to this one, it was dull. I like this one much more, it's so much relaxing and I have the chance to enjoy all I missed.''

''I guess that makes sense. People would assume you've got it easy as an heiress but there's a whole lot of responsibilty for you to handle, huh?'' Ann noted.

''Yes. I don't mind though, I want to help my father.''

''Well that's good. You can really have fun with everyone now.'' Namine said with a smile.

Haru nodded back with a growing smile of her own.

* * *

''...Are you still going at it?''

Mishima stared at Ryuji, who was looking around the beach, his concentration on the girls. They'd just stopped after visiting a famous street nearby and Mishima was glad he could have joined the group. This was really fun, they'd not only played volleyball in two groups but also went about to do a bunch of activities together. They were going to check out a shop Haru told them about that she knew to be excellent in a short while. Already, this trip was looking great.

That being said, Mishima couldn't help but look in exasperation at Ryuji. The boy was clearly trying to be nonchalant, but Mishima thought it was really obvious that he was checking the girls out.

''Takamaki-san just told you off for that kind of attitude, you know.''

''What Ann thinks is her own problem.'' Ryuji said dismissively. ''I don't want to miss this, besides...at least I'm honest about it.''

''W-what?!'' Mishima felt his face grow warm at the blond's knowing smirk. ''I don't know what you're talking about!''

''Sure you don't. I totally saw you looking.'' Ryuji ignored the boy's protests. ''Come on, we gotta make the best of this. Odds are, we can get a couple of hot dates if we be each other's wing men.''

''...You think so?'' He said warily after a moment, his gaze drifting towards Namine, Ann, Makoto and Haru, who weren't too far away.

''Come on, Mishima, throw me a bone here. I mean it!''

The boy sighed ''Fine. How do you want to go about this?''

* * *

The girls went to a nearby shop that seemed to have a lot of attention from passersby. Ann was particularly intrigued when she saw some of their selections, picking out a couple of items she liked.

''Say, Ann? Which one do you think is better?'' Namine held up a couple of shirts. One was blue with yellow and red lining, the other was white with some intricate black and blue patterns.

''They both look nice but...I'd have to say that one.'' She pointed at the second shirt. ''It definitely suits you more.''

''Hmm, all right then!''

When they'd finished paying up, they were curious to find Haru at the shop's entrance, staring at something outside.

''What's up?'' Ann asked.

''Oh...ah...'' She gestured to the other side of the street, where they could see Ryuji and Mishima coming up the stairs. Both appeared rather weary and there was suspicious redness on the former's face, as if he had been hit there.

''Huh. Weird, what's that about?''

* * *

The boys' plans had gone awry rather fast, to their chagrin. And to make matters worse, their companions quickly realized something was up due to seeing them just a few minutes ago. The boys had to admit, their weary appearances would be enough to rouse suspicion so it was no surprise the girls began questioning them.

Ryuji's earlier behavior wound up being a big tip-off, so when Makoto guessed correctly that they were hitting on girls, the boy could only splutter as he tried to say something. But they could already tell how badly the attempts had gone...

''Oh, save it.'' Ann deadpanned. ''We already know you're a pervert anyway. And it looks like Mishima's just as bad.''

''H-hey!''

But Mishima figured that anything he said in protest would go ignored. It was clear that the girls were on two sides in this matter; uncaring and thinking they deserved it (Ann and Makoto), feeling bad for the two (Haru and Namine).

Deciding to try lifting the moot, Haru opted to treat everyone to a restaurant.

''Thanks for this, Haru.'' Namine smiled

The girl shook her head ''It's nothing. I'm glad you invited me; it's been fun. I just want to show thanks.''

''That's really nice but we were glad to have you.'' Makoto smiled.

Mishima stared at Ryuji's pineapple pizza as the food arrived ''Out of all the stuff on the menu, that's what you choose?''

''What? I heard that it was first made in the States so I want to try it here.''

Eventually, they all wound up sharing food with each other, wanting to try out the most of the present selection. Ryuji took the opportunity to pick up some beef from Makoto's plate before putting a bit on a piece of the pizza and eating it.

Makoto raised an eye ''That's...a first.''

''I'll say. It's just weird...'' Ann trailed off.

''Ah, don't knock it till you try it!'' Ryuji grinned, liking the taste.

Haru looked curious ''In that case, may I have some?''

''Sure!''

''Hmm...it's unique but not bad at all.'' Haru said after a few moments.

''Right? The food here is great!'' Ryuji said happily.

''You'd really eat beef with anything, I swear. Don't encourage him, Haru.'' Ann pleaded.

''Ah, ease up. You act like all my ideas are bad.''

''Look at what happened today.'' She deadpanned.

''Remember what happened the last time we went to the gym?'' Ryuji shot back, silencing her.

Namine looked between the two as Ann glowered at the boy ''Do we want to know, you two?''

''It all happened because he...''

Ann never got to finish because Ryuji seized the opportunity to pick another piece of the pizza and beef before placing in her mouth. Surprised as she was, the model quickly found herself having to eat it and avoid making a mess.

Ryuji grinned, ignoring the look she was shooting him ''See? Told you, just try it!''

''...Did he do all that to prove himself right?'' Mishima wondered.

Makoto sighed ''Knowing Ryuji, that wouldn't surprise me at all.''

''You better savor this one, Ryuji. By your track record, who knows when you'll come out on top.'' Namine put in.

''Oi!''

Ann and Makoto laughed, the most amusing part to them was that Ryuji couldn't argue as the girl had hit the nail on the head.

Haru giggled ''They really are interesting, Nami-chan.''

''Haha, I know, right? You haven't seen anything yet.''

* * *

Back in Japan...

Morgana was eating some of the food Sojiro gave him, relieved that the barista was really looking out for him as promised. He was also very thankful for Namine's thoughtfulness as the girl knew that he hated eating cat food and so tried to leave some food for him before she left.

''You're really mean, Mona! Why do you keep acting so jumpy with me?'' Futaba asked.

Both Sojiro and Morgana knew she was referring to what happened a few minutes ago, when the girl gathered him in her arms and while it looked comfortable at first; he had immediately gotten away when it looked like Futaba was getting carried again.

''You're too rough on him.'' Sojiro chided. ''I really don't think I'm the only one who told you so far.''

''I'm not that bad! Why do you all keep acting like this...?''

''For the last time, you're the only one who thinks so!'' Morgana huffed.

Futaba gave him a look ''Sometimes I wonder if Namine spoiled you after all...''

''Hey!''

''Nah, I don't think so.'' Sojiro argued. ''If anything, she's taken good care of him and he's a pretty well behaved little guy. If he doesn't like what you do then leave it be, Futaba.''

''Fine...''

Morgana sighed as the barista headed for Leblanc minutes ''Thanks for the consideration, Chief.''

''I was going to tell you what I found but now I don't feel it...''

He looked at Futaba in surprise ''Aw, come on! Is it about the data?''

''It's a secret. You're going to have to wait until everyone gets back.'' The hacker stated.

''Futaba...''

''Look, I'm not done anyway. It's like I told you guys before, there was a whole lot more than I thought so I don't want to miss anything.'' She cut him off.

Morgana frowned a bit ''Fair enough, I guess...''

As he watched her head to her room, he began to think. Futaba was a much better navigator than he ever was, even with his prior knowledge of the Metaverse. Ever since she joined, he felt as if his role was diminishing. As usual, in the real world, there was little he could do.

It didn't feel like he was contributing anything to the Phantom Thieves. He was sure Namine would scold him if she heard this line of thought but he felt it was true. What could he do now? Futaba was working hard to decipher all that data and all he could do was wait? He really didn't like that.

This was something he'd been keeping from everyone but the truth was, he had been having the strange dream about what looked like his yellow eyed doppelganger recently. Something felt really, really wrong about the whole thing and for the life of him he didn't know what. He wanted to find out what it meant but he had no idea where to even start looking.

At the moment, one question remained to him. What could he do?

* * *

In Hawaii...

The group returned to the hotel, all happy with the day they had. The trip was already proving to be good for them.

''This was really fun!'' Ann smiled.

''Totally.'' Ryuji grinned and the others nodded.

''You know, I was surprised, I heard a lot of people talking about the Phantom Thieves here. It sounds like they've been a big hit over here too.'' Mishima remarked.

''So was I. I never thought their fame would spread so fast that easily.'' Haru admitted.

Ryuji looked at the girl curiously ''So what do you think of them anyway, Haru?''

''I wasn't sure at first but I've come to believe in them.'' The heiress admitted. ''I really could care less for all the terrible things people said about them. They've always gone after people doing bad things, they're helping others. Why should they be condemned for that?''

''Heh, you got that right.'' The boy agreed while Mishima nodded with a smile.

But as they would find out in a short while, all was not well. Namine and Makoto, who had stopped to talk a little before heading to their rooms happened to overhear some passerby talking.

It was also about the Phantom Thieves, which wasn't too surprising. It was mostly centered on their actions and who they wanted to see targeted. The problem with that was that no one even cared that the thieves weren't about that, it was just that they wanted to see people taken down. As if they were just pleased to see it all, that the Thieves' work was just for their entertainment. None of the speakers even considered why the thieves were doing this, that they were standing for what was right and trying to help people. The people just seemed to want chaos and anarchy.

It went without saying that both the leader and second in command of the Phantom Thieves found this troubling. They'd heard some opinions in the past (some of which they definitely didn't like) but this was too much.

''That even sounded like some of the things I read online.'' A frustrated Makoto said. ''Is this really all people care about?''

Namine appeared thoughtful ''...It shouldn't be this way. We'll just have to keep working and show everyone what we're really about.''

''Right.''

* * *

 _And we're done._

 _And this kick starts the trip. Honestly, the game's version was a little boring to me so I wanted to mix things up a little. That's how things are in both Japan and Hawaii, where the Phantom Thieves get another reminder of how the opinion about them is._

 _The sharing fund I put in here was something my family used to do, everyone would get a certain amount of money and they'd pool it together for what was needed. I don't actually remember what the point of Mona's dream with that yellow eyed doppelganger was, or if they even stated it in game but it gave me a certain idea that I'm going to work out in this arc._

 _That's all I have to say but if there's any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer, though I won't provide spoilers. Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed it, till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_


	49. Chapter 49

_Defender31415: Thanks. I may not be completely decided on who Namine ends up with yet but I always kinda figured Ryuji was more of a best friend anyway. You made a good point about Morgana though, I never considered that angle. Though given how his unique origins, he probably couldn't have had a Palace even if he was marked by the sin of envy. Wonder how the developers would have handled something like that though, it would've been interesting._

 _Vangran: Glad you like it. Well, I won't give a spoiler but let's just say I'm taking things into my own hands for this arc as I have plenty in store. This is the arc where I get to use some of the ideas I've had when I first started working on this story after all._

 _Vent-Zxa: Like I said, Namine knows better than to fall for that stuff and someone needs to keep the team's priorities right. Out of curiosity, has anyone told you that you're pretty observant? I've been wondering ever since I read your recent reviews. Since you're the first to ask, I'll just say it, the burglary from two years ago IS actually connected to Shido's plans, specifically the ones his main followers hatched. That's going to be expanded on when I get to the part where they deal with him and his Palace._

 _I really liked what you mentioned about Namine here because you put some of what I was going for with her nicely. There are other reasons I gave her the Overdrive and the soothing light, soemthing more to do with the story. But in general that's exactly what I wanted, for her to touch the hearts of others. You're right in that Mona's next but let's just say the way it will happen is likely going to be a surprise. With Haru, it's sort of already started, since they've been friends for this long. It's also a work in progress with other characters and...as for the Phantom Thieves, whose to say they haven't touched her heart in their own way?_

* * *

The following day, Namine, Ann, Ryuji and Mishima met up in the hallway. Ann raised an eye upon seeing Ryuji's expression as he yawned ''What's with you? It's like all the energy you had before vanished.''

''Ah, just give me a sec...I can't help it, my idiot of a roommate just had to keep talking to his girlfriend on the phone for so long...'' He muffled a yawn before continuing. ''...she's on another trip but they won't get to meet up-it was all kinds of mushy crap.''

Ann began to smirk ''Jealous?''

''Hell no!'' He retorted. He felt Seiten Taisei at the moment, as if mentally nudging him and acknowledging that a small part of him may in fact be so...

Mishima looked around ''Are Nijima-senpai and Okumura-senpai out already?''

''Probably.'' Namine returned, thinking they'd be busy with their work as chaperones. At least the third years could do it in turns so everyone could enjoy the trip, that was good.

The girl blinked upon seeing Mishima pause, his expression turning into one of surprise. ''Is that...?'' He raised an eye, looking at Ryuji. ''...uh, I think that might be your friend.''

The former athlete looked curious at this, following his line of sight until his eyes landed on none other than...

''Yusuke?!''

The artist looked over at them and raised an eye as they looked at him in surprise ''Well, this is unexpected.''

''No kidding, what're you doin' here?'' Ryuji blinked twice.

''I thought your trip was supposed to be to Los Angelos.'' Namine recalled.

''It was, but the plane ran into severe turbulance and there was a storm on the path so we had to come here instead.'' Yusuke returned.

Mishima blinked ''Wait, you all know each other?''

Ann looked at him ''Well, we've been friends for a while-I'm surprised you know Ryuji and Yusuke are friends.''

''I saw them looking for part-time jobs.'' The boy admitted. ''Sakamoto said Kitagawa-san's kind of bad at doing any but I didn't see why. He actually did reasonably well when he helped Sakamoto with doing deliveries but they still wouldn't go for that.''

''...Seeing as it's Yusuke, he probably just found it dull.'' Ann said flatly. Little did she know, that was right on the money.

The girl found herself thinking, the festival was quickly stopped because of a storm. And now this...could it be that Yusuke...?

She quickly shook herself, that was ridiculous. Why would Yusuke have anything to do with those occurrences?

''So what do you wanna since you're here?'' Ryuji wanted to know.

Yusuke thought for a moment ''Visiting the beach does seem interesting, I wouldn't be opposed to going with you all.''

''Great. Since those two are already at the beach how about we get a move on too?'' Namine suggested.

* * *

On the way, the group of five happened to come across a gift shop not too far from their destination so the girls decided to stop there first.

Namine hummed in thought as she looked around again. She had found some nice things already. Yesterday, she picked up some coffee beans from one of the stores they visited for Sojiro and a nice mug she thought he might like.

The girl picked up a couple of pretty seashell bracelets and decided to see if Futaba would try one, getting the other one for Shiho. She had also come across a phone cover for Futaba, and a ukelele charm she wanted to get for the attic. The girl stopped when she saw a sky blue scarf with a white sparkling line running through it. Namine smiled and picked it up, hoping that Morgana would like it.

She stopped to think of things that would be good for others, Yoshida, Hifumi and Akechi coming to mind at the moment. Just as she meant to ask Ann for her opinion, she happened to spot Hifumi not too far away as she checked out the merchandise.

''Togo-chan!''

The girl started and turned, giving a small smile when Namine joined her ''Oh hello, Hyakuya-chan.''

Their earlier encounter with Yusuke reminded the burgundy haired girl of something ''I kind of forgot you were a Kosei student. One of our friends said you had to change course.''

''Yes, it was unfortunate but I decided to try making the best of the situation. I thought I'd see if I could find a few presents.'' Hifumi admitted.

''What do you know, so did I...''

Ann happened to find them then. She gave a curious look at the sight of her companion. ''Friend of yours?''

Namine nodded and introduced both girls to each other. Ann smiled ''Well, I'd say this is a good chance as any. Hey, we were heading to the beach, the others are probably already there. You want to hang out with us?''

Hifumi was surprised ''Is that really all right?''

''Sure! You're Namine's friend, that's all the reason we need right there.''

The burgundy haired girl beamed at the blonde before looking at Hifumi ''It'd be nice if you'd come, Togo-chan. We'll have fun.''

Hifumi began to smile ''...I'd like that. Thank you both.''

* * *

And indeed, the girl was made welcome by their other friends as well. Haru, who she was a little familiar with, had been pleasantly surprised to see her and helped introduce her to the others.

''Heeh, so you play shogi? What's it like?'' Makoto wanted to know.

''Well, it takes focus and strategy. As well as caution and finesse-at least that's how I feel about it.'' Hifumi admitted.

''You know, I bet you'd be real good at it, Makoto.'' Namine remarked.

''You think so? I did try it years ago but I hardly remember now...would you mind if I ask you to play a match sometime, Togo-san?''

''I'd be glad to play.'' Hifumi returned, a part of her was intrigued to learn what it'd be like to face her due to Namine's words.

Two older girls walked nearby, pausing when they saw the girls. ''Hey.'' One of them spoke up. ''Just want to give you a headsup, there's a few perverts roaming about here. With your looks, they'd come for any of you, keep a sharp eye out. We don't know what their deal is.''

Makoto's brow furrowed ''We'll be careful-is there any chance you can give us a description?''

The girl did and it took a lot for the brunette to keep calm as she thanked the girls and promised they would be careful.

Namine sighed ''Weren't the last two other times enough?''

''With those idiots? Not likely.'' Ann grumbled.

Haru looked puzzled ''Nami-chan, those descriptions sounded like...''

''Yeah, it's Ryuji and Mishima-kun. Somehow they dragged Yusuke into this too.''

Hifumi was curious ''Are they friends of yours?''

''Sadly yes...'' Makoto sighed, noticing Yusuke in the distance before he faded out of view.

''I can just imagine what Mona or Futaba would say to this...'' Namine blinked as her phone buzzed and she took it out, seeing a new message. Her eyes widened at the contents; The boys' quest is one of peril and hardship but also one destined to fail. ''...yeah, that fits the bill.''

''Wait, what?'' Makoto came for a closer look. She had to agree, the sender may be unknown but... ''This timing...''

Namine exhaled when the familiar green and white logo appeared a second later, cementing their suspicions.

Futaba: Hehe, surprised?

Namine and Makoto shared dry looks while the rest came over before the former started typing.

Namine: Seeing as it's you we're dealing with, not really. What is this supposed to be?

Futaba: Oh, just a little something I wanted to try. We get to keep in touch and see the stuff you guys are looking at too. Hi, girls!

Ann sweatdropped, wondering how the girl treated something like that so casually. ''...You know, I'm really glad we're on her good side.'' Because she did not want to imagine someone with Futaba's capabilities as an enemy.

Haru looked bewildered ''How did she even...?''

''When it comes to Futaba and computers, she's got us all beat by a country mile so this is probably nothing for her.'' Namine informed.

Futaba: Bingo!

The two sweatdropped at this, Hifumi looked between the girls ''Your group certainly seems...colorful.''

Makoto laughed weakly ''You have no idea, Togo-san.''

* * *

They wound up helping with Haru and Makoto's chaperone duty, even visiting a couple of famous spots with a group students. When the two third years wind up having to go back to the hotel for a meeting, Namine, Ann and Hifumi headed to the Diamond Head State Monument. They wasted no time in taking pictures of the beautiful view before keeping on their way.

''Oh, I thought you looked familiar!'' Ann exclaimed when the subject of one of Hifumi's shoots happened to come up, reminding her of the magazine where she had seen their new companion's picture. ''I honestly took you for a model before.''

''M-me? Oh, I couldn't possibly...'' Hifumi trailed off.

''Well, don't be like that! You can totally pull it.''

''Yeah, I remember what you said about the last shoot but doesn't the fact that you've gotten good results prove it?'' Namine added. ''It's good that you're doing it all to help your family, even with how you feel about it all. I think it's a reason to be happy with the outcome too, your efforts sure seem to be paying off.''

''Ah, thank you...I'll keep that in mind.''

* * *

Unfortunately for them, the boys' plans were turning out to be a complete flop. Not one girl would even give them the time of day. Even when they tried to think of different ways to approach them, it was always the same thing.

Ryuji groaned ''What the hell?! Why does this keep happening?''

Mishima sighed ''Let's just stop. Keeping this up just seems to make people all the more upset.''

''Yes, perhaps the odds here are simply just not meant to be.'' Yusuke remarked.

''What're you talkin' about?'' Ryuji wasn't about to be deterred. ''We can't go giving up yet, we gotta make the most of this trip. We're just on our way to make better and better memories, so let's keep rolling!''

A short while later they ran into the girls, who had gone for a swim. The three are surprised to see Hifumi but they welcome her and introduce themselves. Yusuke and Hifumi had actually come across each other in passing at school, partly because their classrooms were close. While Yusuke figures out who she is based on the talk he heard, Hifumi also recognizes him. She recalled how unpleasant people were around the time of Madarame's arrest and decided not to bring any of that up, merely remaining cordial, a gesture he returned in kind.

Ann lightly teased about the failure of their scheme, leading to her getting into an argument with Ryuji. Mishima blinked, he knew they had a few spats every now and then but that was fast.

''By the way, would you mind if I painted you?'' Yusuke asked the other girls. ''I believe it would make for a painting of sublime beauty.''

''Oh...ah, well...'' Hifumi wasn't sure how to respond.

Makoto decided to help ''That's nice of you to say. I guess it just depends on what you have in mind.''

''Well for now, you should relax and have fun too. This should be a change of pace for everyone.'' Namine added.

''In that case, I saw two dancing instructors on our way here. Anyone want to give that a try?'' Mishima wanted to know.

* * *

Later, they went on to have dinner before returning to the hotel. Hifumi made sure to thank the group for what really did turn out to be an enjoyable time and was happy to be told in return that they were glad to have her along.

Mishima grinned ''So I was just thinking about how the word about the Phantom Thieves spread so much. They're a sensation, everyone's waiting to see what they do next.''

Ryuji and Ann appeared just as pleased as the second spoke ''It's a nice surprise, I can understand them being famous back in Japan but even here? And to think the news spread so much too...''

Mishima nodded in agreement ''I was just looking through the Phan-Site and it looks like a bunch of suggestions popped up. A bunch of people want Akechi Goro to have a change of heart but I think it's mostly because he's against the thieves. The other name that seemed to appear a lot before was Okumura Kunikazu. Now that one I really understand, what with the company's awful reputation. No wonder...''

''Idiot!'' Ryuji cut in, having a good guess of what he'd been about to say. For crying out loud, the man's daughter was right there with them!

The boy cringed, realizing his mistake as Makoto glared at him ''A little tact could go a long way, Mishima-kun.''

''R-right, sorry...''

But Haru shook her head ''It's all right...I've known about the rumors and talk surrounding Father for a while but there doesn't seem to be much I can do about it. I know he isn't a bad person.''

''Well, it's hardly right or even fair to target anyone based on such hearsay.'' Yusuke stated.

''Yeah, I'm not sure some people understand how important a change of heart can be. I don't think they'd go for such a thing.'' Namine found herself thinking back on the conversation from last night. It was like these people believed the Phantom Thieves were putting on some kind of show and that really rubbed her wrong. She didn't know much about Haru's father but surely he didn't deserve to be targeted just for such a reason. Akechi had made it clear that he didn't like what Sae was doing with Sojiro and Futaba and even offered the latter some supportive words, they might have different beliefs and ways of doing things but that was that. It didn't make him a bad person.

''The Phantom Thieves don't target just anyone in the first place, you know that, Mishima-kun.'' Ann reminded.

''R-right,'' He returned awkwardly. ''I was just thinking this proves how effective they've been, you know?''

''You all seem to believe in the Phantom Thieves.'' Hifumi remarked.

Yusuke looked at her curiously ''Do you, Togo-san?''

''Yes. They're mysterious but I think it's actually sensible to hide their identities, given their actions.'' Hifumi reasoned, believing that to be a protective measure. ''They have done a lot of good so far, I think they're admirable. And I agree with you all, I wonder how it works but there certainly seems to be some strategy regarding how they choose targets. If they do aim to change things in society, they can't go picking just any target.''

Mishima looked impressed with the girl, having not expected any of this. Makoto found that she could relate with Haru, though it was for a reason she didn't like to think about.

After all, Sae...

She mentally shook herself, deciding to put the matter out of mind. The brunette knew it was something she should have brought up with her friends but at the same time, she just couldn't bring herself to do it.

''For what it's worth, I think the truth will come out. The Phantom Thieves will ensure that justice is served.''

''Yup, they can totally pull it off.'' Ryuji added.

''Look how they've helped out with the situation about Kamoshida. It'll be okay.'' Namine offered.

Since Haru remembered how bad the times in school were at the time, she could definitely acknowledge just how much of a difference the Phantom Thieves made. The idea of her father being treated on the same level as someone like the P.E teacher was troubling to say the least. Their words and support made her feel a little better. ''...Right, thank you.''

* * *

After returning to the hotel, the girls decided to hang out a bit in Namine and Ann's room before turning in for the night.

Makoto looked on in surprise as Ann let her hair out of the usual pig tails ''Well, I never knew how long your hair actually was, Ann. Appearances really can be deceiving.''

The girl laughed a bit ''Yeah, I get that a lot.''

While the blonde was brushing her hair, she looked at Haru ''So I was wondering, what's your dad actually like?''

''Oh, he was so kind. He used to get up early and make me breakfast, sometimes with a few ideas he came up with.'' Haru recalled. She went on after asking to help Ann with her hair. ''He was always rather involved with many aspects of the company's work and he did his best to make everything would be all right. And even if he was busy, he still tried to make time for me.''

He did sound nice when she put it like that, Namine thought to herself...but was it her or was Haru just using the past tense? She wouldn't have thought much of it but when they hung out, Haru didn't like to talk about her home situation even if she hid that and it had Namine wondering. And now that she looked back...many of the things she mentioned about Kunikazu tended to be like that.

Hifumi had actually noticed the heiress' wording as well. Was she overthinking this? She might not have known Haru for long but the girl was sweet and she hoped everything was all right.

''You seem used to this, Haru. I wouldn't have thought...'' Ann admitted, glancing at the girl's short hair.

''Oh, I suppose I remember...it was nice. Father had me cut my hair a year ago, he didn't think it was suitable for me.''

''Are you kidding me?'' Ann was irked, having a sinking feeling that Haru actually liked having long hair. It was just wrong of her father to make her do such a thing, especially for such a reason.

''I don't really mind, Ann. Father knows best, he wouldn't have said it if he didn't mean well.''

''But still, that doesn't mean he should just force his opinion and ignore your feelings like that.'' The model frowned.

Despite Haru trying to reassure them again, the girls weren't convinced that everything was as fine as she said. Something about the way she said it made it seem a little forced and it made the present Phantom Thieves decide to look into the matter further and find out just what kind of person Kunikazu signs they had gotten so far weren't good but it wasn't right to build an impression simply on that.

Namine wasn't sure why but something simply felt wrong about all this. It made her all the more resolved to help Haru somehow, regardless of whether or not they targeted her father.

Besides, given her own experience with family, she wanted to make sure her friends wouldn't go through something like that. Haru was clearly keeping at least a few things to herself but even then, it wouldn't deter her. Trouble or not, Haru clearly cared about him a great deal and that was reason enough in her book.

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope it was good. Given that Hifumi actually went on the same trip, I figured there was no reason they couldn't meet up and get to know each other. As for Haru, I should make it clear that Namine knows the girl better than most of those present thanks how they've hung out before and given all she came to learn, the signs aren't looking good. Hence why she's worried about it all getting worse. Keep in mind that she's hurting from what her parents and old friends. I mean come on, way I see it, you don't get over something like that so easily. Though she's still trying not to project her situation onto others as she knows it isn't right._

 _I'm still working through plans for this arc, including confidants and the like. I did intend on using the characters from P5R but I'm not sure how well I can work with everything. I sort of have ideas with both Maruki and Jose but it's still up in the air, I was kind of excited but I want to be careful it doesn't mess up things in the plot too._

 _Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up, till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_


	50. Chapter 50

It was the third and final day of the trip. Everyone was making sure to get anything else they had left out done.

Namine was seated in the hotel's lobby, texting Futaba. The girl was naturally curious to know what presents they got her. Apparently, she could have checked at the time but hadn't wanted to ruin the surprise and so had turned the program connecting her through Namine's phone off. But this lead to...

Futaba: Aw, come on! I really wanna know!

Namine: You're just going to have to find out what we got you later.

Futaba: ...Fine. Oh, I'm almost done with the data by the way.

Namine: Really? So it was that big?

Futaba: Yup, Makoto's sis sure does comprehensive work. There were a lot of details...I actually forgot about it until I read that stuff but there were even mentions of the protests.

Namine: Wait, what protests?

Futaba: Oh yeah, you wouldn't know...see, a while after the shutdowns started a couple of years ago, a few people really got upset. The police was still at a big loss back then and the fear was especially bad at the time so they rallied up a crowd and decided to try to do something. I guess it was about making their voices heard. Not that it really did much in the end. I'm not sure what happened right after that but things calmed down.

That was curious, Namine could understand people being upset enough to do such a thing. Especially if one considered that the continuing shutdowns might be looked at as a failure on the government's part so the protest could be a way of inciting them to take action. But for the results to wind up like this...she could only wonder what happened.

The girl was distracted upon hearing some excited talk nearby, making her notice Ryuji and Mishima walking over. She couldn't quite make out what they were saying but apparently they were making plans for the day...

Her phone buzzed again and she found another text from Futaba.

Futaba: Think they'll be looking to score dates again?

Namine: No...at least I hope they won't. It'd be a shame to spend all the time on just that.

Futaba: True, true...Mona doesn't think they learned their lesson. He says they're likely to flop again.

Namine: Of course he does...

She happened to note the boys admiring an older girl talking to one of the bell boys and shook her head slightly.

Futaba: We might be looking a lost cause.

Namine: Well, one can only hope, I guess...

* * *

The burgundy haired girl went for a walk, taking a few pictures along the way. After stopping to check out a shop and continuing on her way, Namine happened to notice Yusuke, who had apparently had an idea similar to hers. After exchanging greetings, the two began walking together.

''I thought to use this time to clear my head.'' Yusuke started. ''I've also made a point to take some pictures. They were inspiring, and it helps that Futaba may not let me hear the end of it if I didn't at least try.''

Namine looked amused ''I can imagine...we were actually just talking...''

The artist was bewildered when she finished retelling some of their previous talk ''She actually hacked your phone...? I have to agree with you all, having someone with Futaba's potential as an enemy would be dangerous.''

''Yeah, let's be thankful she's our friend.'' Namine nodded. ''So how's everything going?''

''Well enough. I've been taking time to think about many things-including my motvation for art. Returning the paintings Madarame took was much harder than I ever imagined and even with our attempts, there were many more left with the police. But Natsu-san and a few other former students promised to see to it. Actually, Natsu-san recommended a consultant to me. One who had apparently helped him sort out his feelings after all that happened.'' Yusuke explained.

''Did you go to this consultant?''

''Yes, I didn't expect much but he was rather friendly and welcoming. It was surprisingly helpful over all.'' The artist admitted. ''It helped me realize that your suspicions may have been very well-founded. I have been forcing myself in my pursuit of inspiration, which was likely why I have yet to be satisfied by any piece I drew lately. My scope was indeed far too limited, it's no wonder the Desire painting turned out to be a failure.''

''Well, you're making some progress. Realizing there was a problem in the first place is what you need to start fixing it. You still love art even after all what happened, I think that's good. This whole situation has to be complicated-I mean Madarame basically raised you. That's not something one can ignore. But you're still trying, you want to learn and improve. I think that effort will definitely pay off.'' Namine stated.

Yusuke chuckled ''I'd like to believe so as well, still...thank you. I always did like our perspective. It has been helpful for me and I'm glad I have you and the others to support me.'' The examples that came to his mind of his friends' support at once were Ryuji's attempts to help him find a part-time job, which thankfully worked nicely. Makoto and Shiho's advice and attempt to help him find a better subject like the time at the park. And of course there was Namine's continuing support. He was ever so grateful to have met them.

''Hey, that's what friends are for.'' Namine pointed out. ''I think that...even if we mess up at times, so long as we keep trying to move forward, we can succeed. We've each got our own perspective, our own experiences...but by working together we can get something great. Besides, your own perspective really did help me.'' At his surprised look, she added. ''Well, I thought I just couldn't enjoy music like I used to for a long time. It was your idea that I try singing in Leblanc, remember? It was really nice...I never realized that it could still make me feel that way before. I've been thinking about getting back to it, try singing some more or even just look for music lessons and stuff. I guess I really missed it after all. I've been doing a lot of thinking myself. It definitely feels like I've been much better off in quite some time. So in our own ways, we're making progress.''

He couldn't help but smile at that. After all, he'd been hoping for as much ever since he learned the true extent of Namine's situation. Especially after seeing how happy she was after that day in Leblanc. The fact that he'd actually helped her that way was nice to hear. ''Ah, I had no idea but you just made my day with those words. And I couldn't agree more, the road ahead may be difficult but that is why success will be all the more gratifying in the end.''

Namine smiled back ''Yup, I'd say that about sums it up nicely.''

* * *

Mishima sat down with a sigh, kicking himself for going along with Ryuji again. He considered the ex-athlete a friend but he was just asking himself why on earth he let the boy talk him into going along with his plans again.

After a round of games at the hotel, they'd gone surfing and he didn't mind that despite having a somewhat hard time with it. He could even take Ryuji's good-natured ribbing over the times he wound up falling off the board, the ex-athlete wasn't much to talk seeing as he had a similar problem on his board.

They'd gotten to do a few other fun things, even a volley ball game with a few other second year students. And it was nice to actually play the game after so long just for fun and not fret about people like Kamoshida.

But then Ryuji had happened to see a couple of beautiful girls and he'd decided to try flirting again, only to fail. He'd just insisted that he didn't want to think the attempts of the previous days were all for naught. But then he kept trying to drag him into it and the day just got worse from there...

''Long day, huh?''

He blinked at the voice, looking up to find ''Namine-san!''

The girl gave a small smile ''Hi. I wondered what you guys got up to...By the look on your face though, it's better just not to ask, huh?''

''Yeah, please don't. Oh and next time I let Sakamoto drag me into one of his plans, can you remind of this day?'' Mishima request.

She laughed a bit ''Duly noted. Dropping the subject then?''

He nodded ''For the record, Sakamoto's plans suck. And whatever he tells you later, he's lousy at surfing.''

''Well, on the plus side, you must have plenty of blackmail material by now.''

''Haha, true!'' Mishima said as they shared amused looks.''Anyway, what were you doing?''

''Just checking out the sights, as nice as the beach is, I want to take in as much of this place as I can.'' Namine replied. ''Besides, we agreed to take a bunch of pictures to show everyone back home. I know Shiho-chan would like those pictures.''

''Oh yeah, Suzui-san's good at photography, right?'' Mishima recalled, going on when she nodded. ''It would've been nice if she was here. You know how we were talking about the Phantom Thieves' fame before? Well, I got to checking the Phan-Site and you wouldn't believe how many new request there were. I mean there are still some ridiculous ones but it isn't a problem. Looks like things are going to get busy.''

''Well, make sure you don't overdo it. You look like you're pretty busy with the site already.'' Namine cautioned, unknowingly surprising the boy, who hadn't assumed that it was apparent. ''If there's some kind of trouble...''

The boy smiled, touched by her concern ''No worries, Namine-san, I can totally handle it but thanks!''

* * *

''Oh, I saw that...'' Makoto smiled when Namine told her a bit about her encounters today. ''...they were actually kind of hard to miss with Ryuji being that excited. I found out around the time I heard people talking about some nice entertainment. Though to be fair to them, it isn't exactly easy to learn either...''

''You can say that again...'' The girls exchanged rueful smiles at the thought of their own attempt to learn surfing the previous day.

''I'm glad you've decided to take up your old hobby again.'' The brunette went on. ''After all that's happened, I understand why you put it off but this is a good step forward.''

''Mm, guess I've had some pretty mixed feelings over it for a while but that's a thing of the past.'' Namine smiled. And to think just a few months ago, she never thought she would feel so good. She'd been so sad, hurt and confused but with her grandparents' help, things had begun looking up. But even then after what she'd lost, she needed time to feel better. With all that happened, with the people she came to know, she was certainly moving forward. And it felt great.

''Does this mean we can expect a performance soon? Maybe you can try at school for example.''

''Erm, I don't know about that last part...singing for you guys was fine but...''

Makoto decided to take what she could get ''Fair enough. Just keep it in mind. After all, given how well you did in Leblanc I think it'd be a shame not to let such talent out in the open.''

Namine seemed a bit embarrassed ''Thanks, Makoto...''

* * *

Ann smiled in satisfaction as she snapped up a picture of the sunset sky ''Perfect!''

''Oh, hey Ann!''

She turned slightly, noticing Ryuji approaching then. Blinking in surprise, she tilted her head ''Hey, what're you doing there?''

''I was thinkin' about trying out that stuff.'' He pointed to a truck not too far away, its label reading that it sold garlic shrimp.

Ann raised an eye ''Garlic shrimp?''

''Yeah, it's a first for me too. Wanna try it out?'' Ryuji inquired.

''Sure.''

With that, the two went and made their order. In minutes, the owner wrapped things up and handed it over. ''Here you are!''

The two thanked him and made their payment, Ann decided to try a piece ''Mm... this is pretty good!''

The man seemed pleased to hear this ''Isn't it? I've been selling my special recipe like hot cakes. They're even a big hit with a whole bunch of tourists like you. You're part of that school which set up over in the hotel over there, right?'' The two confirmed and he went on. ''So you definitely know something about the Phantom Thieves-do you believe in them?''

''Totally, do you?'' Ryuji asked in return.

''Sure do! The vigilantes who stormed Japan out of the blue one day-they're pretty popular around these parts. Everyone's raring to see what they'll do next. I got a bunch of customers today who are fans-it sounds like even people here leave them messages on that board of theirs now.''

''Cool!'' The ex-athlete was certainly happy to hear it. This meant they made that much of a good impression on people, things have really been looking up for them.

Ann was just as glad, for this was a reminder that despite the dissenters, there were still those who had faith in them.

The truck owner must have picked up on their mood because he grinned ''I'm guessing you're big fans, huh?''

''Let's just say we've been in a position to really appreciate what they do for others.'' Ann said carefully.

''Gotcha, they really have been making waves.'' He nodded. Ryuji picked up the plate and the two headed off.

He eyed the food uncertainly as they sat at a bench ''...Is it really all that good?''

''Oh, so you were just fine with that pineapple pizza but now you chicken out?'' Ann teased. ''I guess you're only good with food that involve meat in some way, huh?''

Ryuji harrumphed ''What do you know...fine, I'll try one out now!'' He quickly grabbed and ate a piece, his face lighting up after a few moments. ''Whoa...okay never mind, that guy knows his stuff!''

''That's more like it. When you get a chance like this trip, you should make the most of it and try out all sorts of things. You don't know what you'd miss otherwise.'' Ann stated.

''I guess so...this trip had a bunch of stuff from back home but we still wound up making it special in a way.'' Ryuji mused.

''That's just what I mean.'' The model leaned back. ''...You know, I never thought things would turn out like this. My expectations after entering Shujin were pretty much at an all-time low. Having someone like Shiho there for me was made it a whole lot better. I thought there could be more people who wouldn't judge me based on appearances-back in our old school, there were more like Shiho, and you but in Shujin...''

He held back a grimace ''Yeah, I heard some of the talk...I thought it was real stupid...I even considered going back and catching up with you two.''

Ann blinked, not expecting that ''...Then why didn't you?''

''Well...I guess things got busy and ahh...I'm not makin' excuses.'' He amended. ''Let's just say after what Kamoshida did, I wasn't exactly expecting to find any friends.''

''Ah...'' She frowned. That was understandable, things might be a lot better now in general but there was no denying the damage done. ''...well, you shouldn't have let that stop you...is what I might have said, but I get where you're coming from.''

They did both have their own troubling labels to deal with, the one who ruined the track team and the other assumed to be Kamoshida's girlfriend. Those came with an set of complications neither knew how to handle at the time.

''I don't know how Namine does it...'' Ann began to smile as she found the girl in question near the ocean, running away from Haru with Hifumi as the heiress tried to splash them both. An amused Makoto watched as the three laughed through the whole thing. ''...look how they treated her and yet she just remained true to herself. And it turns out she's a brilliant friend for all of us.''

Ryuji chuckled, having expressed similar sentiments in the past ''Tell me about it. She's somethin' else, all right.''

''Mmhm, I guess you really never know what life would bring...''

''Hey, be happy! Look at how far we've come, you're becoming a pretty big name in the model biz, right?'' Ryuji grinned.

She laughed a bit ''Well, that's the goal...don't know if I'm there yet. Does this mean you actually try to keep an eye on my work?''

''You don't gotta say it like that, I've been doing it ever since you got me to go with during those newer shoots. One of the articles I saw had a bunch of good things to say about you and it proves you're turning out to be a great model.''

Ann felt her face grow warm ''Thanks...you know, crazy as things are, they sure paid off big time and I'm glad they worked out this well. To have friends like you guys...''

''I hear ya. I don't think I could have found better friends, I'm glad we all got to know each other. And that we got to reconnect after our old school, it just feels so right.''

''Yeah...it's great.''

Both blondes sat back and took in the view, enjoying the moment for all it was worth. But most importantly, they were enjoying each other's company.

* * *

Soon enough, the Shujin and Kosei groups went back home to Japan, having spent some good and memorable times in Hawaii.

Sojiro and Futaba were both in Leblanc when Namine returned, welcoming her back.

''No chance you're going to ask how the trip was, huh Futaba?'' The first asked.

Namine looked amused, something about his tone tipped her off ''...You found out about the phone, didn't you?''

''Sure did.'' He gave a small smirk.

''I fell asleep and I forgot to switch my computer off.'' Futaba admitted grudgingly. ''I used was a program I wanted to test out anyway so no harm done.''

''Which is exactly why I let you off the hook.''

She pouted for a moment ''You're no fun, Sojiro.''

''Your definition of fun is beginning to make me worry sometimes.'' He deadpanned.

Namine looked from one to the other as her lips twitched. ''Only sometimes, Boss?''

''Hm, point...actually, make that all the time.''

''Hey!'' Futaba huffed but the two were clearly just having a little fun. ''Jeez...''

Namine muffled a yawn ''Ah, I planned to give you guys your presents soon but they're still packed in my travel bag...''

''Don't worry about it, looks like you've got jet lag. You should go rest up.'' Sojiro advised.

''Yeah, we can start catching up tomorrow anyway.'' Futaba added.

* * *

Morgana perked up when Namine entered the attic ''Oh, good to see you're back!''

She smiled ''Hey Mona, good to be back. That was a nice trip but the plane ride was a pain...I think it was over eight hours or something.''

''Yeesh, I'd hate to wait around like that.'' The cat grimaced, watching her step behind the blinds after picking up a change of clothes. ''Well, things were pretty calm around here, all things considered. I was thinking about how we should catch up and all but it can wait-you've got to be beat.''

Namine nodded ''Yeah, I know it's kind of early but I think I'll be calling it a day.''

''Got it, rest well.''

''Mm, thanks...''

* * *

 _And that's that!_

 _Well, this wraps up the trip. I wanted to finish up here so I can get started on the rest of the arc from the next chapter. I hope this was good. The protest was an idea I got after hearing a few things lately...it's kind of hard to imagine everyone taking the stuff going on lying down and not doing a thing about it. I intend for it to be a kind of plot point later._

 _And now I've actually gotten 50 chapters done. Gotta admit, that feels nice. Especially given my sort of shaky beginning with this story-there was a lot I wasn't sure about at the time. Partly because I never actually played the game and all I know comes from Youtube videos and guides I found online. I really just started this because Persona 5 impressed me and I got a bunch of ideas I wanted to try out. It's been way more fun than I expected so while I did hit a few snags here. I'm aware that my writing is far from perfect, I still want to keep going and finish it. Hopefully I'll be able to get better along the way as well._

 _I've gotten around to sorting a few other things regarding my plans for this arc at least-though I did get a couple of interesting ideas for later down the line which I really want to try out. I even straightened things out for the most part regarding the P5R stuff. I say mostly because I think I can actually use Takuto and Jose well here, the one I'm still skeptic about including is Kasumi. I like her character and all and I watched the confidant, it's interesting and nice to see how it all turns out. And I did try to but I just doubt if I can work it all out for this story._

 _Hah...sorry, just needed to get that off, it was getting frustrating. Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up, till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_


	51. Chapter 51

_Vangran: I wouldn't say it was vague. It sounds like he felt useless and pretty powerless in the real world. Futaba took over his role and there was only so much he could do and seeing how the others could do stuff he couldn't no matter how much he wanted to probably made it worse. I will admit that I found him annoying in this arc and I wish the whole deal was handled better but still..._

* * *

''Can I look now?''

''Yup.''

Morgana opened his eyes, staring as he took in the surprise Namine had for him, the blue and silver scarf tied around his neck.

''You brought that for me?'' He had to ask.

Namine looked amused ''Of course, there's no way I'd leave you out of presents now. When I saw this, I had a feeling it'd be perfect.''

The cat couldn't help but smile ''Well, you got that right. Thanks!''

* * *

Unfortunately, things weren't nearly on the up and up as they may appear...

On her way to school, Makoto bit her lip as she thought back to a conversation she had with Sae earlier. Her mind was mostly on a single piece of information that she found jarring.

Principal Kobayakawa had committed suicide.

The police didn't have much information yet but they were working to get to the bottom of this. The general opinion was that this was too strange since they couldn't see a reason the man would want to kill himself. Makoto shared that opinion, it was another reason she found this shocking. She couldn't say she knew the man well but she had dealt with him enough to know as much.

And to make a bad situation even worse, according to Sae there was a calling card found in his apartment. Thus it lead to the police blaming the Phantom Thieves for his demise, thinking he decided to do such a thing after they changed his heart. Makoto tried to protest, but of course there wasn't much she could say without giving herself away.

Regardless, she knew they all needed to talk about this and soon.

* * *

The word quickly spread about the situation and the school had an assembly for Kobayakawa. The vice-principal tried to talk about how Kobayakawa cared for them all but no one was really convinced. All the talk about the police's investigations had shaken the students, making them doubt the Phantom Thieves.

Later, the thieves gathered in the attic for a much needed meeting...

''I've been asking around, it seems people believe Principal Kobayakawa killed himself for reasons related to the Kamoshida incident.'' Yusuke informed.

''That ties it back to the Phantom Thieves.'' Futaba concluded, frowning when he nodded. ''It still doesn't make sense to just base everything on that.''

''True, I think it's mostly because we still have detractors out there. Even if they were declining, they still persisted. I bet this incident was just what they needed to make their voices heard.'' Morgana stated.

Makoto hummed in agreement ''Given the fake calling card, I guess it was bound to go this way.''

''...So is what happened to him our fault?'' Ann wondered.

''No way!'' Ryuji said at once. ''We did what we had to do.''

Most of the group nodded to this, proving they agreed and Yusuke added ''I think so too. Things wouldn't have been nearly as bad if the principal hadn't been insistent on covering up for Kamoshida. Given what happened to Shiho, I think your actions were entirely justified.''

''People online have been saying stuff like that too.'' Futaba piped up. ''A bunch of them think Kobayakawa had it coming because he kept burying his head in the sand. From the sound of it, people online don't really trust politicians or the police, they just want the thieves to change society.''

Makoto frowned, thinking back to the talk in Hawaii where they heard similar sentiments ''Are we...really doing the right thing?''

''...That's hard to say.'' Namine stated. ''Most of what we've been doing so far is damage control. No one at school would even do anything about Kamoshida. This apathy seems to be really spread out. Thing is, it was either this or turning away from something we know is wrong. All the times we interfered, we really didn't have much choices. Our targets have been people in power and those who lost themselves in their corrupted desires. They just kept getting worse so way I see it, we had to take action. Nothing's perfect though. We had our reasons, our good intentions, we interfered to help people who couldn't fight back. That still means something, I refuse to believe otherwise. Whatever the public opinion is, it can't demean that. We shouldn't let this stop us, we know the truth. Something's obviously up here, we've been set up. We need to find out what's going on here. I won't deny things are bad but that doesn't mean we can't find a way to make them right.''

The listeners began to feel better at those words, deciding she was right. While they all may have had their own reasons for becoming thieves, they still tried to do the right thing when no one else would have. It was true, there was so much apathy in their society. Their targets weren't the only ones apathetic to the suffering they caused. Hell, even others out there...the Phantom Thieves wanted to inspire people to find the strength to face life's adversities just like they themselves had. And yet it seemed like people were just content to rest on their laurels and have them take care of everything.

That needed to change for good. Everyone can't keep expecting the Phantom Thieves to solve all their problems. But they would have to keep trying and hopefully truly reach out to society one day.

The group began to feel heartened by Namine's words, Ryuji grinned ''Way to go, count on you to come through now!''

Namine half-smiled and they knew she was just as troubled by the recent news as they were. But it made his respect for her rise, knowing she was casting those concerns aside to help ease their troubles. This was a mark of what made her a good leader for their team.

''Yeah...we can't stop like this.'' Ann said after a moment. ''Futaba, you said analyzed all the data, right?''

''Sure did!'' The girl returned. ''Boy, there sure was a lot of it. Makoto's sis pulled out all the stops. She's been looking into all the mental shutdown and psychotic breakdowns and she found common factors and links between some. A whole bunch of them kind of stood out on their own but she's convinced that there are those who benefit from them. She didn't have any clear evidence to prove that...but there was one name she was sure of so far.''

''And that would be...?'' Namine prompted.

''The president and CEO of Okumura Foods, Okumura Kunikazu.'' Futaba replied, leaving them surprised.

The young hacker raised an eye upon seeing the troubled looks half the group had at this. Morgana blinked ''What's wrong?''

But Futaba knew, on account of what she'd come to learn about the trip ''Oh...I knew I forgot something! You guys are friends with his daughter...''

''Yeah, and Namine's known her even months before that.'' Ann informed.

Namine recalled what Caroline mentioned about the man, she knew there was some unpleasant talk about him and the impression she had was hardly favorable. But to think he was involved in those awful incidents? How, and why? She worried about Haru, wondering what this all could lead to.

''Futaba, did the data have anything about why Sis specified him?'' Makoto wanted to know.

''Yup, she thinks it's because he'd really gain a lot with some of the people who involved in those incidents out of the picture. There was a Big Bang Burger place over in Hawaii, right? So the name really spread out.''

The girl nodded, looking deep in thought. She knew Sae wouldn't have made such a conclusion lightly and it made her wonder if he had some way of ensuring those shutdowns would happen to the specific people. Was it a way of taking down competition, perhaps?

''That reminds me, didn't Kaneshiro make sure that policeman who was trying to arrest him was killed?'' Yusuke recalled.

''Hey yeah! The bastard's shadow was even gloating about it before.'' Ryuji nodded.

''That's about the conclusion I reached too.'' Morgana informed. ''We have another reason to believe Okumura's involved in all this.''

''I put his name in the Nav just to be sure,'' Futaba elaborated. ''It was a hit, he's got a Palace.''

''That's why we need to act. We'll change his heart and make sure he confesses.'' Morgana added firmly.

''I don't know, Morgana...'' Ann started.

''Lady Ann?!''

''Look, it doesn't feel right to decide something like this so easily.'' The girl said. ''It's like you're taking a change of heart too lightly and I'm not just saying that because Haru's our friend now. Though I won't deny that it would affect our decision, it's only fair to consider how this affects her too.''

''But it's all the more reason to act! It'd all work out once we're done, this doesn't have to do with her...''

''Morgana, that's entirely too naive.'' Yusuke cut in, his expression stern. ''He's her father, of course it's going to affect her in the end.''

Since they all knew he was speaking from experience (the artist had mentioned how people treated him differently once the truth about Madarame was out) no one was about to argue with that.

''Besides...'' Yusuke continued. ''...I'm not sure we should just jump right into this, it feels far too reckless.''

''I think so too.'' Makoto admitted and Ann nodded to this. ''We're not quite ready for something like this now.''

''Then we'll get ready!'' Morgana insisted. ''But we have to do something...!''

''Morgana, stop.''

He blinked in surprise and looked at Namine ''We're clearly not going to come to an agreement today, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. Maybe we should just stop and think for now. Rushing into matters is only going to make a bad situation that much worse.''

But the cat wasn't about to deterred ''It'll be fine! I don't see why you guys keep hesitating. We've decided to rise up against corruption-so society can change. There's nothing wrong with that, we're the only ones who can do anything here so we should put our power to good use.''

Namine sighed ''...This is about putting our power to good use. We just need to consider what that really means. Besides...changing society? I don't think we should be the only ones to decide how that would go. Believing everything would work out is fine but what you're doing is something entirely different.''

Morgana bristled ''What's that supposed to mean?''

''Aren't you just trying to force your belief on everyone now?'' She asked in return. ''We're not all-powerful, heck, if we had a different way of doing this I might have taken it. We're just making the best of a bad situation, but that doesn't mean we're always in the right. I've been thinking about a lot lately...I was happy to know we could make a difference out there, that we could actually help people in need but not if it works out like this. You can't tell me this is the kind of thing you wanted when we started this team.'' Morgana's silence provided an answer of its own. ''I thought so. Look, we're definitely going to do something about this. But everyone should be on board, that's how we've always done things. We just need a little time.''

''Yeah, I mean come on, we couldn't have pulled through as well if we hadn't worked together.'' Ryuji did want to do something now but he respected his friends' feelings on the matter. They'd always done by the unanimous decision rule and he didn't see a reason to stop that now.

''We can't go on assuming we're always in the right, there's two sides to every story.'' Namine added. ''Everyone has their own belief, we can't expect them all to agree with us. It's that kind of arrogance that motivated all our targets. We should be learning from that so as to avoid becoming the same way. Things changed...we can't just go acting the same as always.''

Morgana could see how her words resounded within the others once again and even he would admit, he felt similarly. No matter what spurred him, he couldn't falt her for trying to keep an objective view of the situation and doing what was right by everyone.

''...Fine, I guess we'll leave it be for now then.''

* * *

Eventually, things moved on to somewhat lighter matters as the group tried to put the situation at the back of their minds for now. It was agreed that fretting about it all as things stood would no one any favors.

It was all started by Futaba who asked about the presents, only to be delighted by what she found then.

''Cool!'' She hummed, admiring the phone cover Namine got for her before her eyes fell on the earrings Ann brought then. ''This is nice...hm, I don't know if it's my kinda thing though.''

''Yeah, it's kinda hard to imagine you being into that kinda girly stuff.'' Ryuji admitted.

''Exactly!'' Really, she knew the other girls were used to this kind of thing but it felt odd to her.

''I had a feeling you'd say that, just try them out. I thought this through, soon you probably won't even notice they're there.'' She stated.

''Yeah and it seems like it'd be right up your alley, Futaba.'' Namine added, eyeing the design closely. Futaba looked intrigued as she caught on. For the earring basically looked like a silver and black UFO, she wondered where Ann found something like that.

''Ooh, how did I miss that? I'm definitely trying it on!'' Futaba beamed.

Ryuji, Makoto and Namine were looking over some of the pictures Yusuke took off the trip. The first raised an eye ''You sure got a bunch of pictures of surfers...what, you like that stuff or something?''

''It seemed like an interesting experience and I imagined it could make a good subject for a painting.''

''Huh, guess it would be...at least you didn't...'' Ryuji faltered, stopping himself in time.

Namine blinked ''Didn't what?''

Makoto could take a good guess based on his relieved expression ''...If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say he's glad Yusuke never got any pictures about his attempts to surf.''

He spluttered ''How'd you know?!''

She smirked ''I did say that was a guess-thank you for confirming it.''

Ryuji groaned, kicking himself for walking into that one while his friends shared amused glances. ''Hey, knock it off! You don't get to make fun, I heard you girls talking about your own screwups in those surfing lessons, Namine!''

''We sure did but _I_ can at least admit it.'' The girl returned brightly, which effectively knocked the wind out of his sail while they laughed.

Yusuke shot him an amused look ''You might as well give it a rest.'' Ryuji merely gave him a glare in response.

* * *

''So looks like you kids had some serious stuff to think about.'' Sojiro stated, drawing the girls' and Morgana's curiosity. ''Sakamoto was talking to one of the customers about the Phantom Thieves...I guess you were rattled with this new investigation too, huh?'' Futaba made an affirmative sound and he nodded in understanding. ''Figures, a bunch of the customers today were like that too. Talking about how they might have the Phantom Thieves all wrong or something...''

''What do you think of that deal, Sojiro?'' The girl wanted to know.

''Well, I can't say for sure...but after all that went down, it seems a little ridiculous for people's opinions to change on that one incident. It's not like it's been confirmed that they were responsible or anything.''

''We were just talking about that stuff-boy, people can sure change tack real quick, huh? They were all for believing in the Phantom Thieves and then this happens and poof!'' Futaba waved a hand. ''It all changes in a second.''

''That's the public opinion for you.'' Sojiro nodded sagely, looking at Namine. ''...But you'd know what that's like better than all of us here, huh?''

She nodded in return, not surprised that he noticed. Futaba hid a grimace, knowing he was right. This situation really had been far too similar to what happened to her after that night.

''Well, just give it a little time and we'll see what happens. You never know what life may bring.'' Sojiro offered, glancing at Futaba. After all, just over a month ago he never would've thought she'd be doing so well and yet look at her.

''I guess so...'' Namine agreed, pausing as she noticed the open bag of coffee beans nearby. ''...ah, so was it good?''

''Absolutely.'' He returned. The beans had her present to him from the trip and it sure came as a pleasant surprise. ''You know, I can't believe you actually remembered that. I never got around to showing you this stuff anyway and now you picked up quite a brand.''

''Well, I thought the name sounded familiar so I went to check.'' Namine said simply. ''It wasn't all that different from some of that other stock you showed me. I guess it means the lessons stuck?''

He smirked ''Heh, fair enough.''

''So what's the big deal about those anyway?'' Futaba brought the bag closer to her and almost choked in surprise a second later. ''Wow, that smell can wake up the dead! This stuff actually makes good coffee?''

''Premium brand, actually.'' Her father returned.

''Whoa...''

Shortly afterwards, Namine and Morgana went back to the attic. Sojiro glanced at his charge, deep in thought. Something Futaba picked up on. ''What's up?''

''I was thinking about my last talk with Yuri and Itsuki.'' He admitted. ''They said the kid actually remembered that night now.

''Oh...'' Futaba kicked herself for not even considering that he hadn't known about the situation. ''...we were still thinking that stuff over before. I still find it really annoying that the creep got away with it.''

''Whaddya know, that makes two of us.'' Sojiro admitted, especially when he thought of all that came after the man's petty actions for Namine. ''Well, I'm glad she's actually trying to think this through. I can understand being angry at someone like that...At a point I would've thought she'd be looking for a way to make him pay.''

''Namine's not like that though.'' Futaba pointed out.

''Yeah, I know.'' He acknowledged. ''If anything, she's pretty wise for her age. Which can only be a good thing.'' After all, people like him didn't seem to think anything of crushing those unlucky enough to get in their way. Being foolhardy with someone like Shido could just spell nothing but trouble.

He'd hate to see Namine suffer even more after what she already had to deal with. He was thankful she knew better than to just jump on this and even went to ask her grandparents for some advice. They had also talked to him regarding their growing suspicions about Shido, and it was looking more and more like they had been right about the man...

He let out a breath ''Come on, I'll close up. Let's head home.''

Futaba stood ''Okay.''

* * *

''You guys really are hesitating too much here.'' Morgana stated.

''You're free to think what you want but so are we.'' Namine said calmly. ''Why exactly are you pushing so hard for this anyway?''

The cat stiffened but quickly looked away ''I said it before, we have to do the right thing. Besides, you remember the poll result? Everyone wants us to target Okumura.''

Namine's expression proved that she didn't buy that for a second but she decided not to press in for now, honestly doubting that she would get anywhere. ''...Well, why should we base our actions on what other people think? Trying to meet their expectations all the time just isn't worth it. We do consider their opinion-especially when it comes to Mementos but I think that should be the end of it. We're not doing this just to please them, you know.''

''I know...'' A part of Morgana knew he could tell them...or even just her. That part persisted, making him wonder if the team would understand why he felt this way. But he just couldn't do it.

''Look, just be patient. I said it before, we need to think things through. We can't just go charging in and hoping for the best. If everyone has their own reservations about this, they need time to work through them. Besides, I'm not sure we know enough about this yet.'' The girl returned. She made a mental to try talking to Haru soon, hearing the cat huff but nod after a moment. ''Come on, you were doing just fine hanging with everyone before. Why the sour mood?''

Morgana harrumphed ''It's nothing...''

'Ah, so it doesn't have to do with the fact that Ann has you wrapped around her finger?'

He spluttered at Arsene's words, noticing Namine hold back a laugh ''Oh yeah, there is that...they were talking a bunch before...''

''That's not...'' Morgana groaned a little. ''...oh, just drop it!''

Namine smiled ''Sure, sure...''

* * *

On the way to school the next morning, the two ran into Akechi at the subway station. After exchanging friendly greetings, the detective admitted that there was something he thought Namine should know.

''What's that?''

''It's about Suwabe Akio.'' He admitted. ''You know I've been helping with his case and given that you were attacked before it all started I thought to tell you...part of this is conjecture from me but it seems the police found what looked like a destroyed journal and quite a few papers. They were apparently informative but they haven't been able to piece much of them together. The police is almost convinced he was in hiding, he was rather paranoid to the few who remember running into him recently, he even quite a few guns hidden in the apartment. There was one thing they had been able to piece together from the papers-he was apparently thinking of approaching the police for help.''

Namine blinked and Morgana's eyes widened ''Help?'' The first frowned. ''And that paranoia...it couldn't be that bed unless he was...?''

''On the run from someone?'' He finished for her. ''That's what I've come to realize as well. He was never in hiding to avoid the police-it seems. He had reason to believe he would be killed. The detective investigating the case thinks he got in over his head in some way. But there's far too little information to find out what really happened. The manager of the hotel he was staying in accidentally found a bag Suwabe hid at the basement. He remembered Suwabe sneaked over there plenty. It had quite a bit of money but most of what it had was taken. The strange part is they found a calling card in the bag.''

''Wait, what?''

Morgana balked ''No way! But that means...''

Akechi wound up proving his worst suspicions accurate ''The police are coming to believe that the Phantom Thieves were behind this as well. If anything, it's likely making them more certain that they were the ones behind what happened to Shujin's principal. A few are even beginning to believe that they had been behind the mental shutdowns all along.''

''No way! This is absurd!'' Morgana scowled.

Namine had to make sure to keep calm and not give herself away ''I...really hope that's wrong. It doesn't make any sense, Akechi-kun. The Phantom Thieves never killed anyone, why would they start now?''

''I've been hoping to understand that too.'' He admitted, surprising them. ''It just doesn't seem right, thinking they were responsible for this. I don't see why they'd kill either of them. This whole situation with Suwabe in particular doesn't make sense...''

He was about to go on but then the station's call sounded, alerting them to the arrival of the trains. ''...ah, seems we've been taking too long.'' He said instead.

''Looks like it. Well, better get going. Thanks for telling me about this.'' Namine returned.

''It's nothing worth gratitude. I just thought it was right to do so.''

The girl paused in her tracks ''Oh, almost forgot! Here.'' Before the boy knew it, she had placed a small object in his palm before hurrying away.

Akechi blinked and looked at the object again, it was a colorful charm with an odd design. As he would find out later, this was a Hawaiian lucky charm.

* * *

Morgana sighed as he settled at the desk, speaking up after the bell had just rang ''...That was too close.''

''Yeah...the news really did distract us, huh?'' Namine mused.

''Those people are idiots! Why would we kill our targets? There's no point.''

''You can say that again.'' Ann walked over at the feline's outburst. ''I guess you guys caught onto the news too. Maybe it just proves we really should just slow down here.''

Morgana didn't think so ''It's the opposite, Lady Ann. We ought to prove our innocence to everyone. I know what you guys said but we can't stop here.''

''We're not going to. Things aren't that simple, Morgana.''

''I think so too...something's really wrong here. There's a whole lot of questions and we need answers.'' Namine stated.

The model and feline thief agreed, they were obviously framed here. But why? And who would do this?

* * *

The team got together after school, talking over the group chat to Yusuke and Futaba.

Yusuke: I agree with Morgana, blaming the thieves for all of this is absurd.

Ryuji: No kidding, it's all so stupid! Suwabe was in hiding anyway, wasn't he? How can the police even think that he was killed like this?

Makoto: That's just it. Apparently, they did believe the calling card could have been a fake at first.

Namine: And then after what happened to the principal...

Makoto: Exactly. When that hidden bag was found, the police restarted the investigation and I guess that was where all of this mess started.

Ryuji: Well, that's just great. Isn't there something we can do about all this?

Futaba: Hard to say, I don't even know where to start...you think Mona could be right and changing Okumura's heart would help?

Ann: How do we know it would? I can't say I like the guy but all we have to go on is the public opinion. That doesn't mean his heart has to be changed.

Namine: Then how about we focus on getting information for now?

Futaba: Sounds good!

Yusuke: Yes, that shouldn't be a problem.

Makoto: Right. Haru left before I could talk to her but I'm not sure that would work much either...we could use the Metaverse to help though.

Ryuji: So should we go to the Palace after all?

Namine: Not right away, we're not exactly prepared yet.

Ryuji: OK, so how about Mementos for now? I've been meaning to tell you all, I found this weird request before...

* * *

In the end, the group decided to go. Because they could see what made the request stand out to Ryuji. It definitely was strange and from the wording, urgent. Once the team clarified that the target had a Mementos chamber, they were off.

The target was a woman named Matsuoka Hijiri. Unlike many where the request would simply be asking for help, this one first explained how the sender didn't think the target was a bad person. But no matter how they tried to help, they couldn't do much. The sender seemed to be a good friend of the target, looking to help her out of concern.

They had gotten along very well for years but then, the sender had been away for a spell. When he ran into Hijiri again, he knew something was wrong, even though she kept denying it. But it was far from the end of this, Hijiri had really changed. She had become rather belligerent to everyone, snapping at people for even the slightest thing. She was a caring person before but now she seemed intent on pushing everyone away, even closing herself off from the people who tried to help. The sender was especially worried as her new attitude had almost lead to her getting arrested but Hijiri simply didn't care and she kept at her bad ways.

The team agreed that something was rather off here. The sender was right, this couldn't go on. Such a change couldn't have been without cause so they were going to not just change the target's heart but to also understand just what was happening here.

A surprise came when they ran into Crow, who was apparently here to clarify his own suspicions about Okumura's connections to the mental shutdowns.

''So how'd you figure that out?'' Panther asked.

''It's not hard if you know where to look. I couldn't help but notice that a few of the people who were involved in those incidents were business men with enough power to match up to Okumura. Kaneshiro Junya admitted to making sure that a mental shutdown would take place on someone who was investigating him.'' Crow stated. ''If he could make that happen I don't see why others wouldn't.''

''That makes sense...we've decided to try finding out the truth about him too.'' The model stated, thinking it was only fair to tell him as much. ''All we know for sure is that people want us to target him...but seeing as how they seem all too happy to just see us doing something, it doesn't feel right. That's why we need to know more.''

''Understandable.'' He returned. ''I admit, you've surprised me again. Though it's certainly a relief to hear these words, I would have thought you'd go along with the public's wishes.''

''Well, you were wrong. We have our reasons to be thieves and those don't have anything to do with them. We're not genies for hire, after all.'' Joker remarked.

''Exactly, besides the public opinion is...disappointing to say the least.'' Fox crossed his arms. ''People seem far too content with seeing others simply brought down to heel. As if they just find it all entertaining, but using our powers carelessly would just lead to chaos.''

Queen appeared pensive ''Say, we were talking about those recent incidents...You've met the black masked criminal, so I thought you might have a better idea...do you think he could stand to gain anything by framing us?''

Crow seemed surprised by the question but he thought it over ''...I can't be certain but it's possible. He did mention that he was hired once. But he basically let that slip and I never had a chance to find out what he meant.''

''That's odd, so maybe there really is more to this than meets the eye...'' Mona trailed off.

''So why did you come today? The decision about Okumura was rather new, wasn't it?'' Crow clarified.

''Well...'' Oracle looked at the others for help.

Joker figured there was no reason not to tell him ''Here's the deal...''

* * *

Crow had been intrigued by the request, agreeing that it really did seem strange, so he asked to come along with them. Most of the group was ambivalent towards him, given that Crow had made his opinion of them clear on their previous encounter. But the decision was helped by the fact that Crow seemed to be willing to work with them on this; there was also Mona's suggestion of letting him see how their team worked and seeing what he would make of that. Thus, in the end they agreed that letting him come wouldn't hurt.

With the chamber being in a relatively close area, the group only had to deal with little opposition before reaching the gate. Once inside the chamber, it didn't take long to spot Hijiri's shadow and that was when they knew their suspicions had been correct.

Why, you may ask?

Well, for one thing the shadow was on her knees, sobbing.

''...Why?'' They heard her say. ''Why'd this happen? Why me!? It feels so awful...I don't know what to do!...When does this pain go away!?''

''...This is even worse than we thought.'' Skull frowned.

''Yeah, what's going on?'' Oracle wondered.

''I've never seen any shadow like that one...'' Mona blinked, she appeared almost...broken to him.

''W-who are you?'' The shadow started, staring at the group with no small amount of trepidation. ''What do you want from me?''

''We came to help you.'' Panther said gently. ''Your friend's really worried-he knows something happened but he doesn't know how to help.''

''H-he can't help me!'' The shadow cried. ''No one would...no one would understand...I just told them to leave me alone! I...I don't want anyone to know! It would just make everything worse!''

''W-what do you mean?''

''You seem to have a lot of anger...and not without reason.'' Fox added. ''But that's all the more concerning, if you keep lashing out like this, you'll do something you really regret sooner or later.''

''R-regret?! What do you even know about that? It's way too late for me!'' She snarled. ''Just leave me alone! I don't care what any of you say-I'll force you to stay the hell away from me!''

The group tensed as the shadow's aura seemed to grow intense and Queen's brow furrowed ''...So it's come to this...''

''Hold on.'' Everyone looked at Joker, surprised to see that she was the only one who had yet to even reach for a weapon. In fact, she had done nothing but shield Oracle.

Joker wasn't sure why but she had a feeling that fighting wasn't the way to go about this. Shadow Hijiri's tone conveyed nothing but sadness and pain, she only seemed intent on keep everyone away. She didn't seem to bare them any malice, many of the other shadows they had encountered would have attacked by now. This line of thinking made the girl decide to try a different approach to the situation.

''...We're not going to judge you.'' The girl walked closer, leaving the shadow surprised. ''Whatever it is-I'm sure something can be done to get rid of your pain. We can help you, if you'd just let us.''

''Didn't you hear me?! I said no one can...!'' The shadow lashed out, striking her face then.

''Joker!'' Oracle cried when the shadow stiffened, having not meant to do that.

Joker remained calm though ''...You don't know that, Matsuoka-san. We all know what it's like-thinking your life was over and there was no way out. That you're all alone out there and no one would understand how it must feel, being miserable..maybe even feeling too ashamed to ask for help, thinking no one would listen.'' The shadow seemed stunned. ''Well? Did I get any of that right so far?''

Shadow Matsuoka remained quiet but they could tell that Joker had more or less summed up her feelings accurately. ''...H-how...?''

''A while back, I was falsely accused of a crime for trying to do the right thing. In the end, I lost almost everything and everyone I knew growing up.'' Joker offered, noting how the shadow's eyes widened while missing that Crow watched with a similarly surprised look.

She just thought that since they needed the shadow to be honest, being the same would help. ''They all believed him over me and they all think I'm a criminal who had it coming. Only my remaining family saw the truth for what it was...they were my rock in all this chaos. And it's thanks in a huge part to them that I'm feeling this much better now, I've even found a great new group of friends for it. We've all had our struggles to overcome...some we're still trying to deal with. If we can make it work, so can you. I have this feeling that your friend-the one who sent that request in the first place-he could be your rock. The entire reason he asked us to help is that he cares about you.''

''...This really seems to be working...'' Fox uttered as the shadow lowered her head.

''Yeah, looks like Joker had the right idea. It seems Matsuoka-san's lashing out more because of fear than anger...she looks really lost.'' Queen observed.

''...I think I see what you're getting at now.'' Shadow Hijiri admitted quietly. ''Every time...every time I tell myself I could talk to someone I just...panic. I...know who sent you guys here too. It's just like him to find a way to help-even by looking outside the box. I just yelled at him before but I know he means well...I've been just been scared of how people would look at me...''

''None of us are going to judge you.'' Joker asserted.

''Yeah, it ain't right.'' Skull offered, while making sure to keep his distance as it looked like the shadow was only taking well to their leader so far. ''Like Joker says, we've all had our own mess to deal with. We know better than to treat you like that. What happened?''

Shadow Hijiri mostly kept her attention on Joker but she answered ''...I was fired from my job because of pay cuts. I really thought I'd be in trouble but then I ran into an acquaintance from college. He said he'd help me...''

Something about her tone tipped Mona off ''...That's when it really went south, right?''

She nodded with a pained look ''It...it was all just a set up. His uncle is a big shot at this company so I thought he might have a few connections he could use or something. I heard he was friends with someone who had big connections with Okumura Foods, so I thought it was a lucky break...He just invited me to this party and with some of his friends...Then they took me to this fancy room afterwards. I thought he was just...just flirting at first but before I really knew it, he started...stared touching me. I pushed him back but then one of his friends held me in place and he just laughed about how they were going to have fun...They...they all treated me like some...thing! Some toy for them to fool around with-I kept trying to find help, to get them to stop but no one would listen...one of them just hit me so hard I almost blacked out...and I really wish I did sometimes. That creep Sugimura said something about making me remember my place and Daichi...that traitor-he just agreed and helped them the whole time, while laughing at me. Some of them kept...kept touching me. Then they were all mocking me...it was so awful, so humiliating! I...I just wanted that nightmare to stop!''

Panther felt her eyes water as she listened to the horrible story, she could just tell how much the poor woman endured because of those creeps. It went without saying that they all understood what she wasn't saying, what those people had really done to her. She could even imagine all too well how she felt-this reminded her of dealing with Kamoshida. So cruel...

She could see how Skull appeared incensed, clenching his fists and knew that it was only him trying to consider their target's feelings that kept him from lashing out. Well, that once again proved her words a while ago wrong, he really had changed for the better.

''They all just said...said that no one would believe me...because they have friends in high places and they could ruin my life forever if I talked.'' Shadow Hijiri went on. ''I tried looking for help but it just...it just didn't work. For a while, it looked like the only thing I could do was just bury those feelings with in me. But then before I really knew it...things just kept getting worse and worse...I still felt so angry, so awful all the time...so disgusted with myself...I know I'm pathetic.''

''If anyone should be feeling that disgust, it's them.'' Joker cut in at once. ''What those people did to you is cruel and sickening. They had absolutely no business laying a finger on you, and the guy who got you into that mess is that much worse. You weren't in the wrong here, please just keep that in mind.''

''It doesn't matter who they are out there-the fact that they actually condone even half of what reduced you to this makes them nothing but a cowardly and pathetic bunch of fools.'' Fox added.

''Y-yeah, it's only their fault. Not yours, you shouldn't feel bad. Not even for a second!'' Oracle offered, feeling terrible for the poor woman.

''Even if it may not seem so now, Matsuoka-san, they _will_ answer for their actions.'' Crow stated firmly.

''B-but how...? I...I don't know if I can...''

''You don't have to force yourself, we understand.'' Joker assured. ''Look at it this way, you already made progress today. You wouldn't even talk to us before and now look, you totally came clean.''

''I...I guess I did...can...can I really...?''

Joker had a thought, she had something that could help the woman now. She placed a hand near the shadow and closed her eyes, trying to remember what it was like the first time...

Within moments, a burst of silver light surrounded the girl, soon surrounding the startled Shadow Hijiri as well as the others. Just like last time, they all felt a sense of warmth and serenity wash over them for a moment. It was akin to protective veil that would protect one from harm.

''W-whoa...'' Oracle uttered.

''Hey, this is just like before! So Joker figured it out?'' Skull wondered.

''Looks like it...'' Mona trailed off.

Shadow Hijiri let out a breath ''Wow...that was so gentle. It's been long since I felt like this...''

Joker just smiled, relieved that it worked. It was the first time she actually called that power willingly but it certainly paid off now. Shadow Hijiri surprised everyone by hugging her then.

''...Thank you...thank you so much...''

Her smile widened ''You're very welcome.''

The shadow stepped back a moment later ''Thank you all...I...I'll try to change, to move forward.'' She faded away into motes of light, leaving behind a treasure.

''Whoa...just like that...?'' Mona blinked. This was a first, not one of their confrontations with shadows went down like this.

Joker herself felt the same but she was mostly glad that her idea. She didn't have time to think it over as she assaulted with a similar dizzy sensation like the last time she used that power, leaving her to try and steady herself while it passed.

''Yeah, I was sure we'd have to fight when she reacted like that...'' Oracle admitted.

''We might have, if it weren't for Joker.'' Fox pointed out.

''Way to go!'' Panther smiled at the girl. ''You really pulled it off, it's thanks to you that we could reach out to her like that.''

''Yeah, awesome job, Joker!'' Skull grinned.

''You really keep improving, don't you?'' Mona smirked at the girl. ''She wasn't like our usual targets...Matsuoka was just pushed to her breaking point after all what she's been through, she did the only thing she thought she could. She just lashed out after burying all her feelings deep within. Shadows can't hide what the person truly feels.''

Queen nodded ''I'd have hated to fight her, especially after hearing that story. You gave her just what she needed, Joker, that was very well done.''

The girl smiled at them ''I just thought it was worth a shot-but thanks, it's a good thing that worked.''

''When people are pushed through extremes, they act out in ways they normally wouldn't. Just like she did when she wound up getting in trouble...That truly was the best way to handle this situation.'' Crow remarked.

''I'll say!'' Oracle hugged the girl. ''So what was that silver light about?''

''Ah...about that-we're not sure either...it happened once-I mean twice before.'' Joker corrected herself, recalling with Fox mentioned about her mysterious ability. ''Both times, it just...kind of happened, so I've been thinking it over and trying to see how I could use this power. I wasn't sure but I've got a better understanding now.''

''Nice!''

''I still don't know how it fully works, but I want to find out. Maybe it isn't useful in battle but I'm glad it works it works like this.'' Joker admitted.

''I hear you.'' The hacker nodded. ''Maybe we could scan it? If Necronomicon gives me that kind of details about shadows, we might be able to figure something out.''

''You know, that could really help-thanks.''

* * *

On their way back out of Mementos, Skull paused and looked back at Crow ''Y'know, I get that what our methods may not be the best, Joker made sure we all see that. We're trying to do the best we can. But you saw what's going on all around us, Matsuoka was just one of a lot of people who were dealt a shitty hand in life. She's not a bad person, she just needed a helping hand, someone to really reach out to her. Who's going to stand up for people like her?''

''He's right.'' Panther looked sad. ''I can understand why she couldn't talk to anyone about that nightmare. Those bastards must have made her feel worthless, heck, they probably had so much power that they ruined anything she could've done to make them pay.''

Fox's expression darkened as he thought of Nakanohara ''An old acquaintance of mine also suffered because of a corrupted person with a lot of power. I'm afraid there's plenty of them out there. Many of us know what it's like to deal with such a sort...there are those who can use the law for their own gain, not even caring who they damn in the process.''

As far as he was concerned, people like Madarame and Shido left him believing as much.

Crow couldn't bring himself to argue, especially after what they had just learned. ''...There had to be another way...''

Mona harrumphed ''You think you know so much! What else could we have done? We decided to take action because no one else would...!''

''...as I was trying to say, that might have been my argument at one point.'' Crow went on, silencing the cat. ''But you do seem to understand that and I won't deny that you have done plenty of good, even if the means weren't right. I think that...just maybe you all really were set up.''

''Look at this way, there's two sides to every story.'' Joker offered. ''We don't have to be adversarial, you want the black masked criminal stopped just like we do. Just think about it-maybe you'll come to understand what we're really about.''

''...I suppose so. Well, let's wait and see then.'' He conceded, watching them take their leave before he did the same.

''So even if we have a whole bunch of detractors out there, there's still some who believe in us, right?'' Futaba asked.

''I'd say so.'' Makoto nodded. ''We just have to do this the right way, sooner or later, we'll prove ourselves innocent. I keep thinking back to what Matusoka-san mentioned. One of the bastards who hurt her is apparently a high-up figure connected to Okumura Foods.''

Namine thought back on the shadow's words and frowned. When she looked back, the name Sugimura sounded familiar...only, why?

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope it was good. I thought I'd make this chapter longer after the way the previous ones were, I also figured the issues mentioned here needed to be said It really wouldn't make sense for them to just be okay to target Okumura just on the people's words, especially now that they're friends with Haru. It brings back another issue to consider, thus their decision to find out more about the situation. Besides if anyone could relate to the situation with her now, it'd be Yusuke. They understand, for the most part, that after this set up, some caution is very much needed._

 _To clarify, the investigation regarding Suwabe was also started around the time they were preparing for the trip but it was kept on the down-low until the police could find more answers. What happened to Kobayakawa pretty much sealed it for the police. But the public are sort of in two minds, one side still believes in the thieves and another doesn't. I wanted to see what the story would be like if the team really did stop and think about the implications of their actions and the consequences, I thought it could make things more interesting._

 _Namine hasn't actually met Sugimura yet but she heard about him from Haru. Hijiri's words had her thinking, but she hasn't quite connected the dots yet but yeah, it's him. I plan for them to deal with him soon._

 _Well, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 6)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_


	52. Chapter 52

_Defender31415: Ah, well I don't know about it being 'genius' but thanks. The way I see the deal, it wouldn't have made sense for them to just be okay with targeting Okumura right away. It kinda seemed like Sugimura just got pushed aside so easily. As for Mona...well, let's just say it's complicated. This arc is where I get to apply some of the ideas I've been waiting to use for a while. I've got a few surprises in wait now, one of them has to do with Mona._

 _Vent-Zxa: The two wild cards are supposed to be the opposite of each other. That's what inspired me to come up with that power. I didn't know Loki's ability actually had a name but Call of Chaos seems fitting...maybe I should have Joker's ability be the Call of Harmony?_

 _But yeah, I already intend to have those powers be from Joker and Crow, not their personas._

 _Hmm, I've been toying with the idea of having Namine tell Akechi about her past for a while so I have a couple of scenarios in mind. I haven't decided which to use yet so it's still a work in progress._

 _Miss-Fortune X: I thought it was only right to have someone support Namine and I agree-if Sojiro hadn't been there, they would be the ones to have the Hierophant Arcana. Actually, I'm not sure if I'm going to involve them more directly down the line but if it does come to that, I think the Faith Arcana would work for them._

 _EngineeredNeko: Yeah, I might make it either an origin chapter or a one-shot. I'll write it around the time to deal with Shido's Palace because that's when the full truth about it comes to light._

* * *

Namine didn't know what to do.

They had stuck with their earlier agreement and sought information about Okumura but they had little to go off. Haru didn't seem open to talking about it and admitted that people had even told her she should just put her father's name on the Phan-Site but the girl denied the need for such a thing. Those rumors clearly upset her and the group wanted to help however they could. Haru clearly cared for her father and having people talk and treat him like this had to have been upsetting.

Their search for information eventually let them find that things at the company were rough -though that could have to do with the rumors-and that Okumura Foods' reputation was declining. The few employees they had seen seemed rather worn but were clearly trying to hide it as much as possible. None of which painted a good picture. Deciding to look into this further, the Phantom Thieves agreed to prepare to head to the Palace.

What was really bothering her now was Morgana. The cat had been acting rather strange as of lately. She had a feeling something was troubling him but he certainly gave nothing away. He had remained insistent that they should've just gone to the Palace earlier but relented upon seeing that no one was willing. It wasn't like him to be that pushy though, he seemed stressed even if he tried to hide it. Lately he had even started to distance himself from them. Something was wrong and she just she wished she knew what.

Sighing to herself, the girl decided to try putting the matter out of her head for now and focus on the reason that she came to this area...

* * *

Iwai looked up from the paper he was reading as the store's door opened, seeing Namine poke her head in before walking to the counter. ''So, it's you.''

''Ah, you never said what this was about so I'm here to bring it back.'' Namine lifted the bag.

''Hm, thanks, kid. Just hand it over.'' He took the item. ''...Out of curiosity, did you look inside?''

''I didn't.'' Namine figured he was a private person so she wanted to respect that. She was pretty sure Morgana did look, but that matter was just better left alone. ''That whole thing just threw me for a loop. What is it anyway?''

''Hmm...well, since you were this good about helping me, no harm in telling you.'' Iwai decided. ''Come on, let's talk in the back.''

''A model gun?'' Namine blinked. ''Why all the secrecy?''

''I think you can tell, this one is different.'' Iwai stated, seeing her nod then. ''I was making it for a client but he lost interest. You just helped keep it away from those detectives. It's plenty less hassle for me. By the way, since you handled things that well you can keep that one. It's no good for me anyway.''

''Okay, but you didn't get me here just for this, right?''

''Right. I see people your age like you and that blond kid come every once in a while. You actually know your way around guns, which I think will come in handy. I want you to help me.'' Iwai stated. ''You do part time jobs regularly, right? Well, you can count this as another in a way.''

''In a way?'' Namine echoed. ''What exactly did you have in mind?''

''Things like making a couple of deals, getting rid of evidence and help with goods. In exchange, I'll show you a special menu and a few good deals will be coming your way for sure. What do you say?''

The girl thought it over, this wasn't a bad idea as Iwai's merchandise was quite a help to them in the Metaverse. The whole thing sounded illegal and a few months ago she would've had more qualms about accepting this but now it would do their team plenty of good. She might've been more troubled about taking this if it were from anyone else but so far Iwai had been strict, perhaps a little gruff, still he was fair with them. There was no reason not to trust him on this.

Thus, she made her decision ''...All right, you've got a deal.''

Iwai smirked ''Good, then it's settled.''

 _I am_ _ **thou**_ _, thou art I_

 _Thou hast acquired a_ _ **new**_ _vow_

 _It shall_ _ **become**_ _the wings of rebellion_

 _That_ _ **breaketh**_ _thy chains of captivity_

 _With the birth of the_ _ **Hanged Man**_ _Arcana,_

 _I have obtained the winds of blessing that shall lead to_ _ **freedom**_ _and a new power..._

* * *

With the preparations done, the Phantom Thieves headed to the Palace from an obscured area near Okumura Foods' main building. This lead them to a big hall that had a wide open area of the sky, the view being of a night sky that had a myriad of stars and even a planet in the distance.

''Well, this is quite a sight.'' Fox remarked.

''Yeah, it's like we're in outer space!'' Oracle smiled.

Panther tilted her head ''You think it's like some kind of space ship?''

''Could be. Anyway, let's concentrate here.'' Queen led their group to a big door at the far end of the hall.

But they immediately hit a problem afterwards. The door wouldn't open, apparently it had a scanner that would only select people in.

''What do we do now?'' Oracle frowned.

''We came all the way-we can just force our way through.''

The fact that this came from Mona and not one of their more hot-headed members was certainly surprising. Somewhat worrying as well since the feline clearly didn't see anything wrong about his suggestion.

''You're kidding, right? Even I know that's a terrible idea, Mona.'' Skull said bluntly.

''I don't want to hear that from you!'' He retorted.

''He's right though, brute force may not even help at all.'' Fox offered.

Queen nodded ''Trying that may actually bring down enemies on our necks, remember that we're at a disadvantage here. There's no telling what Okumura might do, as the ruler he can easily control what goes on around here.''

''I think I can take a look at what's going on at the other side. Gimme a sec.'' Oracle summoned her Persona. ''...Whoo, boy. Guys, we're already raised the alarms. I'm sensing a whole lot of shadows right behind that gate. I think they're just going to be waiting for now.''

Panther tensed ''So what do we do?''

''We can't just stop like this!'' Mona exclaimed.

Skull groaned, sensing that this wasn't going anywhere ''Fine!'' He summoned Seiten Taisei and had him blast the door with lightning. It had done absolutely nothing, the same happened when a few of the others tried.

''We'll just have to try again soon.'' Joker said at last, taking out her phone.

The team stopped to talk over their plans. Makoto thought of how they were still learning about Necronomicon and Futaba's capabilities in the Metaverse, something that had her suggesting having the girl hack the scanner to let them in. Futaba herself hadn't been sure if it could work but agreed that it was worth a shot. They reasoned that it was better to wait a little longer so the security level would go down, lest they run into hordes of shadows again.

* * *

With that settled, while most went on their way, Yusuke stayed behind and asked to talk with Namine.

''Morgana seems displeased.'' He remarked as they watched the feline leave.

''Yeah...he knows this is for the best though. There's no sense in rushing things now, we're strong in the Metaverse but we have our limits.'' Namine reasoned.

''Agreed, why is he so impatient lately?''

''I don't know...'' She sighed, deciding to deal with the things that were actually manageable now. ''...so what do you want to talk about?''

* * *

As is it turned out, Yusuke had decided to set up the meeting with Kawanabe today and he wanted her to come with him. Namine readily agreed and the two headed off to the restaurant where Kawanabe had set the meeting.

Kawanabe looked curious when he saw Namine ''Ah, you've come as well?''

The girl smiled ''Hi, I was kind of curious after what happened the other day. You can consider me Yusuke's moral support.''

He smiled back ''Well, it's nice to see that he has such a reliable friend. Come, I'll order for the both of you. Please eat freely.''

''Before that, there is something I would like to ask.'' Yusuke admitted. ''Just who are you?''

''Hm...an interesting question. My work involves gallery management, but my hobbies are diverse. The foundation is but one of those hobbies. Broadly speaking, we're responsible for scouting and nurturing talented youth involved in the art world. We offer scholarships, mediate study abroad programs...and also connect young artists to customers. At at time, even Madarame participated in our organization.''

Yusuke stared ''Sensei...I-I mean, Madarame?''

''Indeed, a good many benefited from his time working with us.'' Kawanabe nodded.

''...Wow, he really was different before...'' Namine mused.

''You have no idea, young lady. We were aware of the dark rumors about him...but we could never have seen his confession coming. I suppose it's likely that he was deceiving us the whole time.''

''Madarame...to think I once relied on his teachings, called him my mentor...This is all because of him. It is his fault that I can no longer view paintings with a pure heart.''

''Hm?'' Kawanabe raised an eye.

''Um, that's kind of related to the slump we've been working on.'' Namine offered.

''Yes. In the past, simply the desire to paint led me to seek beauty. But now I find myself constantly weighed down by the search for awards or the praise of others. An ugly attachment has fastened itself upon my work, I can no longer paint how I used to. My art...is tainted.''

''I see...'' Kawanabe started. ''...However, it would be wasteful to let your talent dry up. Our foundation would gladly support you. Not only a former student of the infamous Madarame, but someone with those looks...There is definitely a market for you. We'll sell you as the 'tragic, handsome artist'.''

''What do you mean?'' Namine asked while Yusuke looked confused.

''Exactly as it sounds. Having his ideas stolen by Madarame, losing a place to live, hungry for food...That unstable air about his makes for the perfect tragedy. A story likes his would sell even for those who don't understand art. If you don't have a story in the modern climate, no body will even mention your name.'' Kawanabe explained. ''Don't worry, we'll handle the details. But in return your must sell your work through my gallery. We will take a mediation fee, but you'll be granted steady revenue and a nice customer base as well.''

''Do not mock me...'' Yusuke stood. ''...Tragedy? Looks? Story?! Those have nothing to do with art! In the end this is about money, that which taints pure beauty...''

The man seemed disappointed ''How immature...''

''Excuse me?!''

''It seems you haven't learned anything after all. You're not looking at reality objectively. Is wealth really that horrible? And beyond that, how long will you continue to chase those illusions of yours? Purity, art...'' Kawanabe trailed off.

Namine frowned as she thought that over, what he said was making sense in a way but that couldn't be all there was to it, right?

''Sh-shut your mouth! I reject your offer!'' Yusuke snapped.

''Yusuke, try to calm down...'' Namine started. She could understand why this would upset him, thanks to what Madarame pulled but that was too much.

''Listen to the young lady. I thought you of all people would have the resolve to use art to make a living...'' The man trailed off.

Yusuke clenched his fists ''I have that resolve! However I also believe such a life should go with proper assessment!''

''Hm? In that case, I have an opportunity for you. My foundation will soon be holding a competition for young artists from around the nation. The prize will be our support. We'll bring customers from around Japan to see the next great talent...There will be great pressure on should you enter, or perhaps are you too afraid?'' Kawanabe demanded.

''What did you say?!'' Yusuke scowled.

''I wonder if you have what it takes to withstand a skill based assessment of that magnitude. I look forward to find out.'' Kawanabe admitted. ''Now then, it seems there's no use in any further discussion. You can have them send the bill to my office.''

* * *

''That avaricious bastard!'' Yusuke scowled. ''Just listening to that reminded me of Madarame. Why is it that all artists talk about is money, money, money?! Has the true meaning of art been lost?!''

''Maybe...it's just how they see it. Their experience shows them that money is important.'' Namine offered.

''Important?! It is worthless! All money should disappear from the face of this world! It only serves to destroy beauty. Those with artistic sensibilities would never worship that filth!'' He exclaimed.

Namine knew one of them had to be level-headed and she supposed here the role fell to her ''It's a matter of opinion, you have your own reason for believing this but others have their own for thinking otherwise. I don't think there's a wrong or right in this situation, it's just the way the world is. You're looking at one side of the deal, Kawanabe-san's seeing the other one.''

''That's true...once again, you offer such a refreshing perspective. I would starve to death without money. Passion fills my heart...but it cannot fill my stomach. What a troubling predicament. Anyhow, I am quite glad that you chose to accompany me here. I may have bit my tongue off in anger if it had only been me. In other words...you are a soothing force in my life.''

''I am? Well, that's good.'' Namine thought it all over. ''What're you going to do about that competition though?''

''I...will partake in it. I am going to display my ability and prove him wrong.''

* * *

The next day...

Morgana hid a grimace as he watched Namine leave for school. The girl hadn't been talking to him much lately and he knew it was his own fault. He hadn't even intended on doing as much but before he knew it, all his recent frustration and helplessness had him keep pushing forward. He didn't doubt that she was trying to help but she wouldn't understand what he felt now.

But he couldn't bring himself talk to them about the real problem. Namine didn't realize it but she knew a part of the issue-his nightmares. He knew he'd woken her up a few times when they occurred but he didn't want to talk about them. About that horrible doppelganger of himself and all the nightmares brought to him...

Morgana knew he was shutting his teammates out but he didn't know how to fix that. He didn't know how much more he could take.

Something had to change.

* * *

At lunch, Ryuji was telling Ann about their last talk with Haru ''...And then those guys were telling her how she didn't know what Okumura was really like. That there had to be more to those rumors if all those people thought he deserved a change of heart and she was just burying her head in the sand.''

''Jeez, really?'' She grimaced. ''They don't have to say it like that. It can't be easy on her either, he's still the only family she has. It's like everyone expects her to just be okay with him being considered a criminal...''

He snorted ''Tell me about it. What a bunch of morons.''

Both blondes started when the subject of their conversation arrived at their table, led by Namine and Makoto. They quickly greeted her and the heiress responded in kind, before they all sat down to eat.

''I'm sorry...'' Haru started, noting the few stares here and there. ''...I'm happy you're all treating me the same as before but it might mean you'll be dealing with this too.''

''Don't worry about it-you're our friend. They can't change that.'' Ann smiled.

Makoto smiled ''If anything, we're glad to have you.''

''Exactly. We've got your back, Haru.'' Namine chirped.

Ryuji nodded ''We know what it's like. People are gonna talk, you just gotta try and blow it off, y'know?''

Ann couldn't resist the chance to wind him up a little ''Oh, you mean like you did?''

The ex-athlete grimaced, did she have to bring that up? He knew he hadn't dealt with his situation well. Of course he didn't want that for their new friend. ''H-hey, that's not it! I just meant-ahh, it's like that old saying...hey, Makoto, how'd it go again? Somethin' about what a person says...''

''I think you mean do as I say, not as I do.'' She returned. The girl had to admit, it would fit here.

''Yeah, that!''

Haru laughed a bit ''Thank you.''

* * *

After school, the group decided to take Futaba with them to have lunch at Big Bang Burger. Both for a change of pace and to see how she would handle herself here.

Thankfully, as proven on the beach, the girl was more than all right with it as long as they were here.

''So we're going to the Metaverse right after this?'' She clarified.

Makoto nodded ''There's been a request about a bully that keeps causing trouble for many students, I'd like to see that this ends. Since we're not sure if the plan regarding the Palace would work, let's try to go there tomorrow.''

''That might be for the best.'' Yusuke stated.

''Yeah...Ryuji, didn't you say something about passing the Okumura Foods building before?'' Namine recalled.

The blond nodded ''It was near where I was doing another delivery. Some of those people looked kinda worked up, I figured the rumors might definitely be getting to them.''

''Oh, something like that would show in the Palace...no wonder those shadows showed up.'' Futaba's brow furrowed. ''I don't know what to do if hacking the scanner doesn't work, guys.''

Ann seemed troubled ''Well, let's not start worrying about that. There's no telling what would happen, we just have to try.''

Morgana nodded ''That's the only thing we can do. I know the scanner only allows the Palace Ruler in but you think someone else could enter?''

''Yup, it's like you said before-the Ruler can control anything there.'' Futaba returned.

''We're definitely at a disadvantage...'' Yusuke trailed off.

No one said a thing for almost a minute before Ryuji spoke up ''We've gotta put our best foot forward, yeah?''

Namine nodded with a small smile ''We can figure things out-even if the situation's bad, that doesn't mean it can't get better.''

''That's right.'' Makoto's lips twitched. ''Then, what do you say we get to work?''

* * *

Later, they reached the target in Mementos and successfully changed his heart. The bully had understood his mistakes and vowed to correct them. The whole thing was heartening, seeing how much of a difference they could make if they tried.

'You're useless.'

Mona's blood ran cold at the voice, finding it far too familiar. But...how could that be?

His eyes widened when he saw the golden eyed look alike from his nightmares on the far opposite of the railway, smirking at him with malice.

Why...why was it here too?

'How long are you going to avoid the truth? You're just a pathetic weakling, you can't do anything without the others. I know exactly who you are after all.'

Mona bristled at those words, immediately denying them. He'd just been about to speak up when Panther called him over, reminding him that they were leaving.

As he followed them, he glanced back with trepidation, finding that his doppelganger had disappeared.

* * *

''What's up, Mona? You kinda just froze up before.'' Futaba stated once they were in the attic.

Morgana held back a wince but he tried to answer ''I-it's nothing.''

''You sure?'' Ann tilted her head.

''Yeah, it's just fine!''

She didn't seem convinced ''I don't know...''

''Yeah...'' Namine wound up voicing the same issue she had in mind. ''...you've been acting strange lately. Is it really just nothing?''

Morgana tensed when they all seemed to be expecting a response ''It's nothing, just leave me alone!''

Ryuji frowned ''Hey, don't talk to them like that. They're just worried about you!''

The feline scoffed ''I don't want to hear that from you.''

''What's that supposed to mean?''

''All this hesitation was just frustrating-were you guys really thinking about what we should be doing? And you-I bet you were just using the team for a chance to pick up girls.'' Morgana stated, glaring at the blond.

Ryuji glared back ''That's not all I'm about-what the hell do you think you know about me?''

''Plenty!''

He snorted ''Yeah, right. Besides, aren't you actin' for your own benefit here too?''

Morgana harrumphed ''My appearance might have changed but I'm still an admirable human! At the very least, I'm more admirable than some carnal blond monkey!''

''You little...!''

''Okay, stop!'' Namine cried, startling them. ''Both of you need to calm down. Morgana, you're way out of line. That's a terrible thing to say. We've been through this, no one gets to judge anyone here for their goals. Enough with the insults. Ryuji's at least trying to consider how everyone feels. I don't know what's going with you lately but we've made our plans, we're not about to force opinions on anyone who doesn't agree. It isn't right, our unanimous decision rule still applies.''

''Yeah, that's what we're trying to do here.'' Ann added.

''...Fine, I can take on some small time target like Okumura on my own.'' The cat retorted.

Her eyes widened ''What...?''

''Sorry, but it looks like I'll be getting the credit for solving the mental shutdown mystery.'' He continued. ''I'm going to show you who the useless one actually is!''

Ryuji stared at him in surprise, remembering the beach trip back in August. Was the feline really thinking about that all along? But he hadn't even meant it, that was just a joke...

''Wait, don't...'' Makoto started.

''Stop!'' Ann called.

''Looks like I don't belong here after all...'' Morgana trailed off. ''...well, this is goodbye.''

''Wait, calm down...'' Namine started. But the cat just shook his head.

''See you...'' He left. Namine made to follow him but stopped when Ryuji grabbed her hand.

''Don't. I bet he's back in no time.'' He scowled. ''Dammit...!''

* * *

Morgana stopped near the cafe, glancing back with regret. He might have gone too far back there but he knew things couldn't stay this way...he couldn't take this. It wasn't just about Okumura-not anymore.

He knew without a doubt that there was more to that strange look alike of his than it appeared. He wanted to find out just what it meant-perhaps he might have finally found a clue about his missing memories. But he would take Okumura's heart and he would do it on his own, he wanted to prove to them that he could do this.

But even more than that (and a part of him would never admit) he wanted to prove it to himself.

* * *

 _And we're done._

 _Well, I thought about this a lot. I toyed with the idea of not having the fight. But in the end, I went for it because I think it makes sense to have things come to a head between Mona and Ryuji. Also, I plan to use this situation with a couple of my ideas, so things are going to go differently from canon on this front._

 _I think you can tell, Mona's being pushed to his limits here and it's making him act in ways he normally wouldn't. The real issue is that he's too prideful to ask any of the others for help. I'm going to start explaining what's really going on with him from the next chapter onwards but let's just Mona's nightmares are problematic here. That shadow happens to be a part of my plot, the truth of which I plan to reveal in time. Oh and that bit about knowing who Mona really is? It's the truth._

 _I know things seem bad but I plan to fix them up pretty soon. Well, thanks for reading so far and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 7)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_

 _Iwai Munehisa (Hanged Man Rank 1)_


	53. Chapter 53

_Defender31415: Thanks. Actually, Yusuke got the better end of the deal with Kawanabe, the man's just more practical. As for my focus...it's a bit divided at the moment._

 _A P5S based sequel? Hm, I haven't really thought about it but hey, it could happen. I am more than likely doing a third semester though in this story though-P5R gave me some ideas which I might use. That semester is likely going to be mostly original content though._

 _Vent-Zxa: Sound of Order, huh? That could work...hm, I'll think about it. Thanks for the idea, glad you like the story._

 _HollowXIII: Morgana isn't losing control of Zorro. That shadow looking like him is...something related to a plot point of mine. I'm not so comfortable talking about this because of spoilers but I intend on revealing a few twists in the plot eventually._

 _Vangran: Yup, that's about how I figured Morgana would feel, which is why I handled things this way. No worries, I intend for the reunion to go differently._

* * *

The last gathering of the Phantom Thieves caused plenty of tension to go around with, thanks in a good part to Morgana's behavior.

Most of the group was engaging in the chat over the phone early in the morning.

Ann: I can't believe Morgana would just leave like this...

Futaba: I don't know...he's been kind of a jerk lately. Even when you were all on the trip, he got all touchy and grumpy.

Ann: I'm pretty sure part of that had to do with you treating him roughly.

Makoto: Agreed.

Futaba: Hey!

Yusuke: At any rate, I'm afraid there isn't much we can do about Morgana at the moment. He made his displeasure with us rather clear, perhaps it's best to leave him be until he calms down.

Futaba: You think so?

Ann: Maybe...

Namine: Well, let's try dealing with the things we can handle right now. Makoto, you said something about getting to talk with Haru yesterday right? How'd that go?

Makoto: Not too well, I'm afraid. I wasn't comfortable pushing her on this. It's like she's shown before, the rumors are bothering her but she doesn't know what to do. I had the impression she was looking to find some answer though.

Namine: Hm...well, I wouldn't be comfortable talking about this kind of thing either. Heading to the Palace seems to be our best option now.

Futaba: Yeah, we're still locked out though. I think she's basically one of the few people the scanner would allow inside though.

Yusuke: I hope you're not suggesting we take Haru to the Metaverse.

Futaba: No, it was just a thought. I wouldn't want her dragged in there just because of this...

Ann: Good...hey, Ryuji is getting those messages, right?

Makoto: Now that you mention it, he's been awfully quiet...

Yusuke: He could simply be busy.

Ann: I guess you're right...

* * *

Namine wasn't sure that was all there was to it. Ryuji had been acting a little odd since Morgana left. Almost two days had passed and he seemed subdued for some reason.

The girl decided to find him as soon as possible, wondering if he was okay.

Her suspicion was reinforced when Ann told her in class that Ryuji hadn't responded to any of her or Yusuke's messages. When it was time for lunch, Namine went about to look for the boy.

She had little luck at first, even people from his class hadn't seen much of him. Namine happened to pass the track team's old training spot, wondering if he could be there. Once she made it there, she came across Nakaoka and Takeishi.

The second paused upon spotting her ''Hyakuya? What're you doing here?''

''I'm looking for Ryuji, we've had some trouble getting a hold of him so I was hoping we could talk.''

''Well, you're in the right place. We saw just him a few minutes ago, he was acting funny...I never thought quiet was a word I'd associate with Sakamoto.'' Takeishi admitted.

''Tell me about it.'' Nakaoka agreed before looking back at Namine. ''Did something happen?''

''It's...ah, complicated.'' Honestly, she didn't even know what to make of things right now. ''I wanted to make sure he was okay.''

The boy seemed satisfied ''If you're on the case this should be fine.'' He gave a small smirk at her surprised look. ''Sakamoto told us a bunch about how much you helped him. It's looking more and more like you're just the friend he needed back then.''

''Sounds about right.'' Takeishi agreed. ''I'm more surprised he went through all the trouble to help us after we treated him. Heck, he's the whole reason we could get the team back up and running. We were hoping to make it up to him somehow.''

Namine couldn't help but smile at this ''...Ryuji doesn't hold what happened against you-the whole thing was Kamoshida's fault anyway. True, you guys could've handled things better but he told me he gets that part of it is because you all missed running so much. He felt the same way. I think the fact that you care enough to make things better would be enough.''

The boys appeared surprised at the words before gratitude settled on their faces. Takeishi chuckled ''Noted. Well, don't let us keep you any longer. Sakamoto's right over there.'' He gestured to their far left and she could indeed see the boy in question there. Namine thanked them and left, with both of them observing her retreating figure for a moment.

''Damn...for all the crap people gave her, you wouldn't think she'd be like this. How'd we misunderstand things that badly?'' Takeishi had to ask.

''I know, man...others in the school see it too. I heard she even helped Nijima-kaichou before they even knew each other. That record doesn't mean a damn thing, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone nicer.'' Nakaoka remarked.

* * *

Ryuji looked up at the sound of footsteps to find Namine walking over. She seemed relieved ''Hey, I've been looking all over for you.''

He blinked ''Yeah? What's up?''

''That's...kind of what I wanted to ask. Is everything okay? You've been acting strange, I was getting worried.''

Ryuji sighed. Well, that was just great. The last thing he wanted to do now was make her worry. ''Sorry about that...I've just been thinkin' about all that's been goin' on.''

''I'm pretty sure we all have by now.'' Namine returned, her tone proving that she knew there was more to it.

He nodded a little in agreement ''...Thanks...'' The girl gave him a quizzical look as he began to explain. ''...I know people say you're really nice a whole bunch, and it's true. But it also makes you a brilliant friend and leader. I mess up a lot and even wind up acting stupid sometimes but you never hesitate to point that out so it doesn't happen again. You've been really patient with me and it means a lot...'' Ryuji leaned back. ''...I'm going off topic. The point is, thanks for standing up for me back with Morgana.''

Namine's expression made it clear that she didn't expect that ''Don't worry about that...I just thought I had to. He was going too far.''

His response left her taken aback ''Yeah well, seeing as you're the only one who even did something then...makes me wonder if they agree with him. It's just...sometimes the way they act...''

The girl's first instinct was to deny that but she felt a nudge of sorts from Arsene that stopped her and urged her to think on her next words...

Actually, if she looked at it objectively, she could see why he came to that conclusion. Of course, she couldn't speak for their friends there but she didn't want to believe it was true.

''I don't think they do...if anything they were just surprised. I know I was.'' Namine said at last. ''You could try talking it over with them. Look, no one's perfect, we all mess up. But that doesn't mean anyone gets to rag on others for it. Even if we do tease each other sometimes it's just in good fun. I don't see any need for thanks, I was just being fair. ''

''Nah, that's all the more reason you deserve it.'' Ryuji insisted. ''And...ah, sorry about before-I know you wanted us to try getting along better.''

''I would've been surprised if you had taken what happened back then well. I appreciate that you tried though.'' She returned. ''I'll be blunt-I think you both messed up...but I did too.''

''That's not true!'' Ryuji said at once. How did she come to think that?

''Well, it's just-I keep thinking of what I could have done to make things better before it all got so bad. I couldn't even do anything with Morgana.'' She admitted.

''That's cuz the stupid cat wouldn't tell anyone a damn thing.'' Ryuji countered. ''Something was obviously up but we can't fix a problem if we don't even know what it is. He's the one who took it all the way up to this. Look, we all know you're doing the best you can for our sakes. If Morgana can't see that, it's his problem. None of this was your fault.''

None of the others said as much but Ryuji couldn't shake the feeling that at least of them held him responsible for what happened when they met up last time. But he could see what Namine was getting at. He and Morgana were both responsible for that mess, especially since they broke the promise they made to her. In no way did he blame Namine for any of that so he wouldn't let her do it to herself either.

''...I stand by what I said, you're a brilliant friend, leader.''

Namine began to smile ''Thanks, right back at you.''

* * *

Little did the two realize that Makoto had been passing by the area when they met up. She had meant to talk to them but seeing the two's troubled expressions prompted her to stop. Thus, she happened to overhear their talk. As a result, she was left disappointed with herself.

She felt awful for not even considering how Ryuji felt about all this. They really hadn't been fair to him so she couldn't blame him for thinking that they held him responsible for Morgana's departure. And to make it worse, Namine felt guilty because of it all due to her role as the team's leader. She hadn't realized it before but Morgana's behavior wound up hurting the two of them in the end.

Makoto completely agreed with Ryuji. There was no way it was Namine's fault. She knew Morgana was getting frustrated because they didn't agree with him but they wanted to do what they felt was right. And he really had taken it too far back there, Ryuji had been defending Namine and the other girls before that fight started...

It felt more and more like they hadn't even seen Ryuji's side of the situation but it was clear to Makoto that his spats with Morgana bothered him more than he let on. Especially now.

This couldn't stand, Makoto felt she could have done something before but there was no point regretting things now. She would do something to make it up for her friends.

* * *

School was done for the day so everyone was heading out. It was around then that Namine happened to spot the familiar blue door of the Velvet Room at a nearby alleyway.

She headed over to see what was going on, finding Caroline standing there. ''There you are, Inmate.''

''Hey, Caroline. Did you need something?'' The older girl tilted head a little.

''Justine and I were talking about the visits we made with you that Planetarium and the shrine...when I told her the second one was plenty boring for me she suggested thinking of something else. We've come to learn of something called a movie, supposedly it's interesting. Show us what it is.'' Caroline ordered.

Namine didn't see any problem with that ''Sure thing. Ah, I should probably explain a few things before that though...'' Caroline blinked, puzzled. Namine then added. ''...can you get Justine? I'll explain on the way.''

* * *

Justine looked around the cinema ''I see...so there are a variety of movies for different tastes.''

''Yup, a bunch get made over time. There's light hearted stuff like romance and comedy but you also get some pretty intense movies full of action and even thrillers.'' Namine returned. ''The ones the cinema would be showing now are on the posters over there so you can pick whatever seems interesting to you.''

The twins looked at the indicated posters. Indeed, each one held a different image and title, giving an impression of what it was about.

Namine looked amused when she noticed Caroline grimacing in disgust at the romantic movie poster, not at all that surprised at the reaction. Likewise, Justine didn't seem all that impressed with the horror movie one. She could see them talking but couldn't hear them in the midst of all the hustle and bustle surrounding the area.

The two came back ''We've made a decision, Inmate.'' Caroline informed.

* * *

Around the same time, Makoto gathered the team at her place with the exception of Namine and Ryuji.

''So what did you wanna talk about?'' Futaba asked.

''It's...something I overheard earlier. I'm ashamed to admit it but it took me this long to really think on what should've been done.'' Makoto admitted, she then proceeded to recount their friends' talk from earlier.

''Wait, what?'' Ann shot up in her seat. ''Why would he think that?''

''We haven't given him much reason not to, Ann.'' Makoto returned calmly. ''I don't like it either but the fact is, we should've done more. Even you have to admit that lately, most of our concern and focus has been on Morgana. Have any of you really thought about how this would affect him? Or Namine?''

Yusuke grimaced ''...As much as it shames to admit, no. I might have even blamed him in a way. Ryuji was never the sort to consider a friend useless and I had a feeling he was simply joking. Even if it was tactless, he didn't mean any harm.''

''Yeah, he's too nice for that. It isn't right to blame him for just sticking up for himself, he tried to help us too. Mona was being really mean.'' Futaba added.

''Exactly.'' Makoto nodded. ''I've spoken to Namine about this before and we both agree that there has to be a reason for Morgana's recent behavior. But as Ryuji put it, we couldn't have done anything if he wouldn't even tell us what was bothering him. And I know she tried to get through to him. We may have pushed their arguments aside a lot but this has gone too far and it isn't fair to Ryuji. We all have our faults but that doesn't stop us from improving.''

Ann frowned, they all knew that those faults had been a big part of the issue between Ryuji and Morgana ''You're right...we really need to make things better here. We're supposed to be friends but we've hardly done much about that mess-maybe if we had, it wouldn't have gotten out of hand like this.''

''Indeed.'' Yusuke agreed. ''This is unacceptable. Ryuji deserves better, he's shown over time that he does care about us. Morgana might have been the one who brought us together but Namine is truly the heart of our team. She often goes out of her way to help us and she truly wants what's best for everyone.''

''Yeah...that's just why she's such a good friend and a reliable leader. We have to do better.'' Makoto stated and they nodded back.

* * *

''So that was a movie...that was fascinating.'' Justine admitted.

''Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it.'' Namine smiled.

''Quite. That particular movie was Caroline's choice but I didn't mind.'' Justine glanced back. ''I'd ask for your opinion, Caroline but...given the look on your face earlier, it seemed like quite enough of an answer.''

Caroline looked flustered ''Wh-what do you mean by that?!''

''Oh, just that you seemed to be really enjoying yourself.''

''Don't be ridiculous!'' She fired back at once. ''I was just...well, I just remembered a good dream I had!''

Neither Justine or Namine bought that for a second but they knew the girl wouldn't admit it anyway. The latter decided to change the subject ''Well, you definitely seemed like the sort who'd go for an action movie, Caroline. Some of the others would probably be too sedate for your tastes.''

''I...guess it was okay.'' She said after a moment. ''Don't make a big deal out of it, Inmate. Why did humans make something like this anyway? It seems completely random to me.''

''Well...'' Namine thought back to some of her history lessons. ''...I think there's a bunch of reasons. I read that movies actually started as simple moving pictures. You know how some books have illustrations? Maybe people just wanted to take it further from there.''

''Hm, it's proof of how humans learn and improve.'' Justine remarked.

Namine hummed in agreement ''They can be used for entertainment and even teaching. Like...say you have a person who doesn't really like to read and they prefers a different approach to studying. There are movies that could help them learn.''

''I see. Humans truly are innovative...'' The girl trailed off.

''Hey, Inmate. Any chance you know why some of those people kept giving us strange looks?'' Caroline inquired.

Namine had noticed as much earlier ''Ah, if I had to guess...'' She pointed at the movie's poster, it depicted the main characters. One of them had an outfit somewhat similar to the twins' clothes.

Caroline looked annoyed as she understood ''Oh, great. So they think we're doing that lame cosplay thing? Humans really can be dumb...''

''Well, there really isn't much to compare. You two are much cuter anyway.'' Namine remarked.

''W-what? I'm not cute!'' Caroline exclaimed, looking embarrassed.

Justine looked amused ''Well, thank you Inmate.''

* * *

Later, Namine got a text from Yoshida. Benzo wanted to meet him and he wanted her to accompany him. Thus, she met up with the two at a restaurant.

She listened to them debate a few things going on in politics. Some of which Yoshida told her about but most were still new. The girl decided to wait for them to finish, knowing Yoshida would be okay with explaining to her later.

''...However, the government's overall approval rating is dangerously low.'' Benzo said.

''I'll be sure to proceed with caution, considering that the grandson of my former teacher is showing me such kindness.'' Yoshida returned.

''Yes well, I'd like to discuss a personal matter. Allow me to be frank. I will be running for grandfather's seat in the coming election.''

''I see...congratulations.''

''I held a low-level position in the party's executive office but I'm new to candidacy. So I was hoping you could educate me on how to run an election campaign.'' The man went on.

Yoshida's eyes widened ''Well, I was planning on running myself...and I don't believe I'm qualified to teach you.''

Benzo arched an eye ''I've heard that you've been working harder than anyone these past 20 years.''

''Well, I did have a lot of free time after I lost the election. Study is all an amateur can do.''

Benzo wasn't convinced ''Amateur? You're a veteran. If anything you have experience teaching her, right?'' He nodded at Namine. ''Your reputation has greatly improved around the executive office recently. And my grandfather has expressed intent on making peace with you.''

''I'd be happy to bury the hatchet with Kuramoto-san. But I'm not worthy to join his group again.'' Yoshida stated.

''I thought you would find these conditions favorable. So I ask that you keep what I'm about to tell you a secret.''

''Namine-chan, if you wouldn't mind...?'' Yoshida started.

She nodded ''Yeah, it's okay, I'll give you a moment.''

''No, I'd like you to hear this as well. You're his favorite pupil after all.'' Benzo stated.

Yoshida frowned ''Wait a moment...is your plan to involve her so I can't decline?''

''Oh, nothing of the sort. I simply trust her discretion.'' Benzo cleared his throat. ''The Kuramoto group is planning to move forward with a political realignment.''

''Are you saying that you're going to secede from the Liberal Co Prosperity Party?'' Yoshida was surprised.

''With the government in such a weakned state, now's our chance. As such, I want to emphasize our unity.''

''And so you've come to me, a former member of the Kuramoto Children...But my views differ from those of the Kuramoto Group. And I don't intend on changing them.'' Yoshida stated.

''I understand. However, you won't be able to put those beliefs into actions if you don't get elected.'' Benzo looked at Namine. ''Hyakuya-san, could you talk sense into him? You'd benefit as well.''

''Well...I didn't get a part of that to be honest, but I can't exactly make him do anything he doesn't want to. I'm sure he has his reasons. Yoshida-san worked so hard in this, wouldn't that demean it?''

''Yes, I agree.'' Yoshida smiled at her. ''I appreciate your offer, but I must respectfully decline.''

Benzo arched an eye ''So you're okay with being No-Good Tora forever?''

''Hey, wait a minute.'' Namine frowned. ''That's not who he is. He can win this time.''

''Namine-chan...'' Her mentor started, surprised.

''Looks like you chose the wrong politician as a mentor.'' Benzo stated.

The girl certainly didn't think so and her expression made it clear ''That's not for you to decide.''

''Try to understand that she has her own beliefs.'' Yoshida offered.

Benzo paused ''...My apologies. I made a slip of the tongue. And in front of your protegee no less. I don't need an answer right away. If you want to show deference to Grandfather please let me know. I already took care of the bill so enjoy. Now, if you'll excuse me...''

''What's the point of getting elected if it means sacrificing your beliefs?'' Yoshida wondered. ''I bet when push came to shove, Kuramoto-kun included to lure you in. He probably didn't expect me to handle things like this after revealing his trump card. I feel surprisingly at ease whenever you're with me, like that time with Matsushida. I'm truly indebted for all you've done for me, but I must ask that you continue to help.''

''Well, why leave this unfinished? I'm in!'' Namine assured.

He smiled ''Thank you.''

* * *

The next day...

After a visit to the Palace, it turned out that not only was the scanner very hard, if not impossible to hack. It even raised the security level and caused shadows to surround the group.

While they managed to beat the opposition, it was easy to tell that such a confrontation wasn't going anywhere and they were really locked out of the Palace. Since Oracle detected even more enemies beyond the gate, they decided it was best to leave for the time being.

Ryuji let out a big breath ''That...sucked!''

''Sorry...''

He blinked and looked at Futaba ''It ain't your fault.''

''Yeah, it could mean that Okumura's just really guarded so his shadow isn't leaving much up to chance? It might be because of the rumors.'' Namine reasoned.

Futaba nodded ''But it's not just that...guys, are we...bad friends?''

Namine blinked ''Wait, what?'' She noticed everyone sans Ryuji (who was just as puzzled) seeming troubled. ''...What's going on?''

Makoto decided to explain ''I'm sorry...Namine, Ryuji, I was passing by yesterday so I wound up overhearing you two talking at lunch.''

''Ah, that...'' The latter grimaced for a moment. ''...yeah, that's changed now. Namine talked to me about it and I figured I'd save bringing this up until we figured out the Palace situation.''

''Well, now's a good time as any to sort this out.'' The burgundy haired girl remarked.

Ann nodded ''We're sorry, Ryuji. I was surprised to hear how you felt but when I look back to what happened, I can't blame you. You're one of our friends and I never even tried to see how you felt, I hate that I didn't notice this before.''

''I feel the same way.'' Yusuke admitted. ''We could have handled ourselves better before. It's hardly fair to blame you for standing up for yourself.''

Futaba nodded ''I mean sure you talked about getting girls before and you can be a pervert but that doesn't mean that's all there is to you.'' She looked at Namine. ''And you shouldn't feel guilty because of what happened, you do your best for all of us and that should be more than good enough for anyone.''

''I think it's safe to say plenty went wrong that night but it's wrong to simply blame you for it all.'' Makoto offered, completely agreeing with the three of them. ''I'm sorry too. Though I wish things had been different, there's no point in that. We've agreed that we have to do better from here on out.''

Namine began to smile ''I think that sounds just fine. We'll make sure to try the same. It only gets better from here. Right?''

Ryuji chuckled. He hadn't expected this but what they were saying really meant a lot ''...Right. Quit feeling bad about this, all of you. I don't really blame you, I just needed to sort myself out. Come on, enough of this sappy stuff, let's go do something fun!''

''I think someone needs to be honest with their feelings.'' Ann smiled.

''It's like some kind of guy thing, right? I remember Sojiro acting like that too-it's like something that makes them feel macho or what not.'' Futaba mused.

Namine laughed ''Yeah, Grandma used to say stuff like that about Grandpa too. Anyway, I think Ryuji's got the right idea-any suggestions?''

''I've heard about this place at school...I believe it's called Dome Town, it seems rather popular.'' Yusuke remarked.

''Wait, you've never been there, dude? Let's fix that, I'm in!'' Ryuji stated.

''Same here.'' Ann added.

''That sounds fine to me.'' Makoto smiled.

''Me too. Futaba?'' Namine prompted.

The girl grinned ''It's cool with me. I'm down with checking out all sorts of places so long as it's with you guys. What's Dome Town like?''

''Well, I think you're going to like it...''

* * *

 _Well, let's stop here._

 _I hope it was good. Originally, I meant to sort things out somewhat differently and begin to show what's going on with Morgana but it felt like I'd be rushing things if I didn't put this stuff up first. I think it needed to be said. Honestly, I know Ryuji can let stuff go but I don't see how they were all so okay with blaming him for the whole thing. It really wasn't fair. To be clear, I think they're both at fault on some level but I wanted to use the fight to have the team look into their relationship on a better level, so they can become closer._

 _I know the school treats the characters like outcasts generally but I want to try a different approach. I mean come on, it's obvious how things are different now, Namine saved Shiho and they can see what she's really like and Ryuji's the main reason the track team's back. That has to account for something. Now that this stuff is sorted, I'll start dealing with fixing things with Mona's situation from next chapter onwards. I intend to handle that somewhat differently but you'll see soon._

 _I think I might have messed up the confidant numbers, Yoshida's was supposed to be number six but I jumped it to seven when this chapter has the seventh rank event. It's kind of hard keeping track of them sometimes. Anywho, thanks for reading and I hope you keep it up. Till next time!_

 _Confidants:_

 _Sakamoto Ryuji (Chariot Rank Max)_

 _Morgana (Magician Rank 8)_

 _Takamaki Ann (Lovers Rank Max)_

 _Takemi Tae (Death Rank 8)_

 _Igor (Fool Rank 7)_

 _Sakura Sojiro (Hierophant Rank 5)_

 _Suzui Shiho (Temperance Rank Max)_

 _Yoshida Toranosuke (Sun Rank 7)_

 _Mishima Yuuki (Moon Rank 7)_

 _Okumura Haru (Empress Rank 3)_

 _Caroline and Justine (Strength Rank 6)_

 _Kitagawa Yusuke (Emperor Rank 7)_

 _Akechi Goro (Justice Rank 6)_

 _Ohya Ichiko (Devil Rank 4)_

 _Nijima Makoto (Priestess Rank 4)_

 _Mifune Chihaya (Wheel of Fortune Rank 4)_

 _Togo Hifumi (Star Rank 2)_

 _Sakura Futaba (Hermit Rank 2)_

 _Iwai Munehisa (Hanged Man Rank 1)_


End file.
